Comprehensive Screening of per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Food Contact Materials: Utilizing Combustion Ion Chromatography for Total Organic Fluorine (TOF) Analysis.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise thousands of fluorinated chemicals. They are of growing concern because many PFAS compounds are persistent and toxic. Food contact materials (FCM) containing PFAS pose multiple exposure pathways to humans, prompting twelve states to enact laws banning FCM with PFAS levels exceeding 100 ppm of TOF.

Staring into the void: demystifying microbial metabolomics.

Metabolites give us a window into the chemistry of microbes and are split into two subclasses: primary and secondary. Primary metabolites are required for life whereas secondary metabolites have historically been classified as those appearing after exponential growth and are not necessarily needed for survival. Many microbial species are estimated to produce hundreds of metabolites and can be affected by differing nutrients.