Product Guide for PFAS Analysis

Selecting the Right Lab Supplies for PFAS Methods

When government agencies and other research organizations developed the first PFAS analysis methods, certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exhibited signal loss or enhancement based on how the samples were handled. These unexpected sources of error could occur anywhere in the sample pathway from collection to analysis and could lead to inaccurate quantification and reporting. Significant troubleshooting efforts from those pioneering organizations resulted in two primary observations that guide how we test these “forever chemicals” today.

1. PFAS can be found everywhere—at the sampling site, in the analytical lab (even in instruments), and anywhere in between, so it is essential to prevent background sources from contaminating samples.
2. PFAS can be “sticky”—they can adhere to certain materials that are commonly used in sampling and analysis (e.g., glass containers or pipettes), so everything in the sample flow path has to be considered for its ability to retain PFAS.

Due to these characteristics, avoiding background contamination and preventing loss due to retention are particularly important for PFAS testing. Regardless of the method you are running, best practices dictate evaluating your system and supplies prior to sample analysis to qualify them for use. In some cases, the results may warrant equipment modification or replacement of parts to ensure suitability for the analytes and LODs you are testing. The following sampling and lab supplies are often screened prior to use:

• Sample collection vessels
• Solid phase extraction (SPE) products
• SPE vacuum manifolds
• Filtration devices
• Autosampler vials and caps
• Mobile phase filters
• Mobile phase transfer lines
• PTFE tubing and filters used in UHPLC or HPLC instruments (e.g., mobile phase degasser, LC pump components, etc.)
• Mobile phase solvents and reagents
• LC columns
• Anything else in the sample flow path

Table I details the lab supplies for PFAS analysis that are used in test methods from ASTM, DIN, EPA, and ISO. When selecting the right supplies, be sure to choose method-appropriate products and evaluate your system and supplies to ensure they are free of target analytes (Table II) and qualified for PFAS analysis at the levels required by the method. Restek is proud to support PFAS testing labs with clean, high-quality lab supplies and expert technical support for the analysis of legacy, alternative, and ultrashort-chain PFAS across a wide range of global testing standards.

Table I: Lab Supplies for PFAS Analysis by Method

*Containing less than 2 g/L solid particulate material.
†Ideal for <C4 PFAS. No official testing standards are available.
‡Additional PFAS standards are available.
**Meets EPA 8372 method requirements.

Table II: PFAS Compound Lists by Method