The Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap Exploris™ EFOX mass detector provides a breakthrough solution for environmental and food safety laboratories, delivering high-resolution analytical capabilities to simplify workflows and enhance PFAS detection without the complexity and cost associated with traditional systems.
Environmental and food safety laboratories around the world are facing a rapidly changing situation. Every year, new PFAS variants, pesticide degradants, and industrial chemicals emerge, expanding the world of organic xenobiotics that silently enter food, soil, and water. For analysts on the bench, this complexity is not abstract. As they arrive one sample at a time, there is tremendous pressure to work faster than ever before while protecting public health.
Traditional high-resolution instruments offer extraordinary capabilities, but often require time, expertise, and resources that regular labs just don’t have. Behind every vial is a person: a farmer, a family, a community, depending on the certainty of the research results. And behind every result is a team striving to do more with tools not previously designed for the demands of modern regulations.
Everyday laboratories require the power of high resolution without the historical barriers of cost, complexity, and time.
Limitations of traditional LCMS workflows
Even when laboratories have secured high-resolution accurate mass (HRAM) technology, workflow complexity often presents its own barrier. Traditional liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) systems introduce friction throughout the analytical process.
Methods require compound-specific MS/MS optimization Addition of new compounds requires time-consuming revalidation Data review requires specialized knowledge Method development reduces throughput Cost limits adoption in small labs Constantly evolving regulations require future-proof methods
That gap continues to widen as regulatory requirements accelerate, especially when it comes to PFAS. More questions arise, but existing tools limit how quickly labs can provide answers. Routine labs end up managing systems that lack the flexibility to keep up with today’s pace of change.
Orbitrap Exploris EFOX Mass Detector: A new path beyond PFAS
The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX (Environmental Food Organic Xenobiotics) mass detector is powering the field of environmental and food safety testing. As the industry’s first HRAM system, it is designed to meet industry demands with the ability to perform targeted analysis and accurate quantitation, suspicion screening, and sample profiling.
Unlike traditional high-resolution systems, which are typically research platforms modified to handle routine tests, the Orbitrap Exploris EFOX mass detector provides research-grade performance purpose-built for everyday workflows. Bring award-winning Orbitrap technology, used for detailed analysis of proteins and small molecules, into your everyday lab and enable extremely low-level PFAS detection with the same reliability and precision. Intuitive operation and minimal setup allow labs to go from sample to results in minutes without sacrificing data quality or throughput.
What is the difference between the Orbitrap Exploris EFOX mass detector?
Full-scan HRAM acquisition that eliminates the need for MS/MS optimization Retrospective analysis to future-proof your workflow Compliance-ready methods for PFAS, pesticides, and more Affordable price point designed for everyday labs Intuitive, guided workflow with Thermo Scientific™ Chromeleon™ software Seamless integration with Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish™ dual channel UHPLC systems
“The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX mass detector was developed with the everyday laboratory in mind,” said Aristide Ganci, Product Manager. “We wanted to create a high-resolution system that removes complexity, accelerates compliance, and gives every laboratory the confidence to protect public health.”
The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX mass detector is helping to redefine what routine high-resolution testing looks like for labs, allowing them to work faster and with more confidence.
Technology that enables simplicity
At the heart of the Orbitrap Exploris EFOX mass detector is technology that is world-renowned for its outstanding resolution and mass accuracy. Its strength lies not only in its accuracy, but also in how smoothly the entire workflow unfolds.
Because the system captures every ion in each run, this full-scan data approach provides laboratories with an unprecedented level of universal flexibility. Users can add new analytes at any time, instantly screen for emerging contaminants, perform quantitation and suspect screening simultaneously, and completely avoid cycles of redevelopment and revalidation.
Smart CID fragmentation for enhanced identification
Multiple full-scan segments with different collision energies generate richer mass spectra, leading to more accurate compound quantification through ion ratio confirmation, enabling reliable library searching, and supporting interference rejection.
Retrospective analysis provides answers before questions arise
Samples collected today may contain contaminants that will not be regulated until next year. The Orbitap Exploris EFOX Mass Detector allows laboratories to revisit existing data at any time and achieve future compliance from work already completed.
A complete ecosystem designed for reliability
The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX mass detector integrates seamlessly with:
Vanquish™ Flex Dual Channel UHPLC Platform Dual Split Sampler OptaMax™ NG and EASY-IC™ Ion Source Chromeleon Software with Guided Control and Reporting
The result is a modern, durable workflow built to withstand the pressures of heavy daily use.
Out-of-the-box workflows to accelerate PFAS compliance
Regulatory agencies continue to expand contaminant lists and tighten detection limits, putting laboratories in a constant race to stay ahead of changing requirements. Orbitrap Exploris EFOX Mass Detector helps businesses maintain their edge by providing application-ready workflows designed to confidently meet modern compliance challenges.
These workflows support high-resolution detection of PFAS, including both regulated compounds and emerging contaminants. It also streamlines pesticide analysis by simplifying quantification and wide-area screening. Beyond these established applications, the Orbitrap Exploris EFOX Mass Detector has the ability to handle the identification, profiling, and suspect analysis of any new or emerging organic xenobiotics, ensuring your laboratory is prepared as future regulatory requirements evolve.
For more information, please see the application note: Ready-to-use PFAS quantitation workflow using a full-scan high-resolution approach on the Orbitrap Exploris MX mass spectrometer.
AB003940: Ready-to-use PFAS quantitation workflow using a full-scan high-resolution approach on the Orbitrap Exploris MX mass spectrometer.
Strengthening your lab today for a safer tomorrow
Workflow simplification accelerates nearly every aspect of laboratory operations, and the Orbitrap Exploris EFOX mass detector delivers on this effect by reducing complexity and enabling faster decision-making. New methods can be introduced almost instantly, increasing throughput and enabling laboratories to quickly adapt to new analytical challenges. Streamlined processes also help reduce total cost of ownership by minimizing reruns, conserving supplies, and reducing technician time.
Beyond operational efficiency, EFOX provides high-resolution accuracy and robust data processing, enhancing the reliability of both targeted and untargeted analyses. This clarity improves decision-making, makes data more defensible, and helps labs meet today’s demands with precision.
The benefits extend far beyond the walls of the lab. More reliable data contributes to cleaner water, healthier soil, and safer food, directly supporting public and environmental health. As contaminants evolve and regulations expand, laboratories will continue to be the first line of safety. The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX mass detector is equipped to take on that responsibility, offering powerful and practical high-resolution detection and the flexibility to use today’s data to answer tomorrow’s questions.
For more information, please visit Environmental and Food Analysis Solutions | Thermo Fisher Scientific – USA
This article will be published in an upcoming PFAS Special Focus Publication in January.
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