LC-MS/MS determination of PFAS in wild Baltic grey seal plasma for the assessment of health and developmental parameters

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LC-MS/MS determination of PFAS in wild Baltic grey seal plasma for the assessment of health and developmental parameters

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants that require highly sensitive and selective analytical methods for reliable quantification in complex biological matrices. Wildlife plasma presents additional analytical challenges due to limited sample availability, high protein and lipid content, and the risk of background contamination, making robust method development essential for accurate exposure assessment.

Following an initial LC-MS/MS screening of 31 PFAS compounds in pooled grey seal pup plasma, 10 target analytes were selected for quantitative method development. This webinar will demonstrate how the analytical workflow was designed and optimized to achieve reliable PFAS quantification from only 50 µL of plasma, including streamlined sample preparation, implementation of a delay column to minimize instrument-derived PFAS background, chromatographic separation using a Thermo Scientific Hypersil GOLD C18 Selectivity column, and quantitative analysis by isotope dilution LC-MS/MS. The presentation will conclude with the application of the validated method to plasma samples from Baltic grey seal pups and adults collected in Estonia, demonstrating its suitability for wildlife biomonitoring and providing insights into age- and sex-dependent PFAS exposure patterns.

What attendees will learn

• How to develop an LC-MS/MS method for PFAS in a highly complex plasma matrix
• How to work with very limited sample volumes using a streamlined preparation workflow
• How targeted PFAS screening can be converted into a quantitative method
• How delay columns and chromatographic choices can help manage PFAS background and interferences
• How validated PFAS data can support wildlife biomonitoring and toxicokinetic assessment

Who should attend

This webinar is intended for analytical chemists, LC-MS/MS users, environmental monitoring scientists, toxicology researchers, and anyone working on biomonitoring of PFAS or other persistent contaminants in challenging biological matrices.

Register now to learn how a robust LC-MS/MS approach can enable reliable PFAS quantification in complex wildlife plasma samples.

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please register to automatically receive a link to the on-demand recording. 

Presenter: Elīna Pasečnaja, PhD (Product Application Specialist, Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Elīna Pasečnaja, PhD, is a Life Sciences Applications Specialist specializing in chromatography and mass spectrometry. With a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Latvijas Universitāte, she combines lab expertise with environmental research, analyzing chemical pollutants to advance wildlife conservation and human health.