Identifying PFAS Chemicals in Consumer Anti-fog Product Solutions Using GC-TOFMS

Goggles and safety glasses are critical components of laboratory personal protective equipment. Unfortunately, goggles and safety glasses are prone to fog up especially if worn with protective masks. This combination can be hazardous since visibility can drop significantly during the time spent in the lab. Many vendors provide protective eyewear with anti-fog properties. In addition, anti-fog sprays and/or cloths are utilized regularly to improve visibility while wearing the protective gear. A recent Duke University publication indicated that anti-fog sprays or cloths may contain high levels of polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). Formulation impurities, as well as degradation products, may be present as well. Some of these substances have been linked to disease (e.g., cancer). Therefore, it is important to characterize anti-fog solutions to determine the identity and safety of their constituents. The objective of this study was to characterize anti-fog solution compounds using gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS). A large number of anti-fog constituents were not present in commercially available mass spectral databases (NIST, Wiley). Enhanced chromatography and high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-HRTOFMS) were employed to identify unknowns. The advantages of GCxGC-HRTOFMS included enhanced chromatographic resolution and the ability to determine chemical formulas using accurate mass measurements for molecular ions, adducts, and fragment ions. The superior chromatographic resolution together with the selectivity and accurate mass measurements of the HR-TOFMS instrument lead to confident anti-fog component annotation.