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Testing for PFAS, the Forever Chemicals

September 14th, 2022

Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) remain front and center when it comes to persistent environmental contaminants. Learn how AccuStandard is actively participating in the validation and development of new test methods for PFAS analysis.

Per- and Poly- fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a manufactured/man-made class of chemicals that have been used in a wide variety of consumer products. These products include non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, cleaners, cosmetic products and insecticides. The high thermal and chemical stability of PFAS make them persistent in the environment and nearly non-biodegradable, earning them the nickname "Forever Chemicals."

Although there is no universal definition for PFAS, the USEPA defines PFAS as “chemicals with at least two adjacent carbon atoms, where one carbon is fully fluorinated and the other is at least partially fluorinated”. With over 9000 chemicals in this class, PFAS have been manufactured and used in many consumer and industrial products since the 1940s. They have been used so frequently because of their unique ability to both repel water and resist high temperatures.

Although many of the early used PFAS have been banned, they still exist in the environment contaminating soil and water sources such as water streams, underground water and wastewater—and more recently rainwater at a level that exceeds the USEPA Lifetime Drinking Water Health Advisory levels. Exposure to PFAS is linked to adverse health effects including immune deficiency, kidney disease, liver damage and birth defects.

Contaminated water and soil remains the major human exposure pathway to these chemicals. Tests have shown PFAS exist in human tissues, blood samples, and breast milk. A recent study has found 50 breast milk samples contaminated with 16 different PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS, which both were phased-out nearly 20 years ago. This clearly demonstrates the need and urgency to test for these chemicals for years to come.

On the other hand, testing for PFAS comes with its own challenges for any analytical lab. These challenges include selecting the appropriate method and the possibility of sample contamination. With the wide applications of PFAS around us, including lab equipment, components of the testing apparatus and sample collection tools, sample contamination is considered one of the main challenges for PFAS analysis. Hence, running a reference blank sample and evaluating your system and sampling components prior to your PFAS analysis is important to prevent any contamination error.

Additionally, using a reliable reference material is fundamental to achieving a valid analysis. AccuStandard offers a comprehensive line of PFAS CRMs that are designed specifically for EPA, ASTM and ISO test methods as well as many single component solutions that can be used for method development.

AccuStandard is currently working along with ASTM D19 Committee for Water members to be part of the efforts to validate ASTM D8421 Test Method for the Determination of PFAS in Aqueous Matrices.

Methods to target new PFAS compounds and updated detection limits are being developed by different regulatory agencies around the world. AccuStandard will continue to prepare CRMs to support the analytical community in meeting the challenging requirements of these methods and provide solutions that will help researchers better understand these ubiquitous chemicals.

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