Emerging Contaminants Leadership

What is PFAS?

PFAS stands for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are a group of man-made substances that include 1000’s of individual compounds.

Where is PFAS found?

PFAS have been manufactured and used in numerous industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s. PFAS can be found in food packaging, commercial sources (e.g., fire-fighting foams), and household products (e.g., Teflon™, Scotch Guard™, GoreTex™ & cleaning products).

Is PFAS safe?

Of the numerous PFAS compounds, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been the most extensively produced and studied of these compounds. PFAS are very persistent in the environment and in the human body, which means that they do not break down readily and they can accumulate over time. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.

What are safe concentrations of PFAS?

Many states and the USEPA have issued regulatory limits for PFAS in different media. The regulatory limits may apply to ground water, surface water, potable water, and/or soil. Because of the dynamic nature of the regulatory framework related to PFAS, York Analytical recommends staying in touch with your local regulatory agency for up-to-date information:

What should I do if I need to analyze for PFAS?

If you need to analyze for PFAS, consult with an environmental engineer, industrial hygienist, environmental scientist, or another qualified environmental professional to determine the proper course of action. York Analytical Laboratories, Inc. works with many in these groups of professionals to analyze PFAS samples in various media, like soil, potable water, and non-potable water.

What PFAS compounds should I analyze?

Your qualified environmental professional can help you determine, which specific compounds you should analyze. Each regulatory jurisdiction may require different compounds or groups of compounds to be analyzed depending on your situation. York Analytical Laboratories can analyze up to 24 PFAS compounds in various media including non-potable water, potable water, and soil.

What methods are York Analytical Laboratories certified to use for PFAS analysis?

York Analytical Laboratories uses United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 537/537.1: Determination of Selected Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances in Drinking Water by Solid Phase Extraction and Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Method 537 is modified as an isotope dilution method to analyze, non-potable water and soil samples. The list of compounds from Method 537.1, 537, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) & Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CTDEEP) are provided below:

Analyte Abbrv. CASRN* 537.1 537 NYSDEC CTDEEP
11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid 11Cl-PF3OUdS 763051-92-9 X
9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acid 9Cl-PF3ONS 756426-58-1 X
4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid ADONA 919005-14-4 X
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (Gen-X™) HFPO-DA 13252-13-6 X
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid PFBS 375-73-5 X X X
Perfluorodecanoic acid PFDA 335-76-2 X X X
Perfluorododecanoic acid PFDoA 307-55-1 X X X
Perfluoroheptanoic acid PFHpA 375-85-9 X X X X
Perfluorohexanoic acid PFHxA 307-24-4 X X X
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid PFHxS 355-46-4 X X X X
Perfluorononanoic acid PFNA 375-95-1 X X X X
Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA 335-67-1 X X X X
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid PFOS 1763-23-1 X X X X
Perfluoroundecanoic acid PFUnA 2058-94-8 X X X
1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid 6:2FTS 27619-97-2 X
1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorodecane sulfonic acid 8:2FTS 39108-34-4 X
Perfluorobutanoic acid PFBA 375-22-4 X
Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid PFHpS 375-92-8 X
Perfluoropentanoic acid PFPeA 2706-90-3 X
N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid NEtFOSAA 2991-50-6 X X X
N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid NMeFOSAA 2355-31-9 X X X
Perfluorotetradecanoic acid PFTA 376-06-7 X X X
Perfluorotridecanoic acid PFTrDA 72629-94-8 X X X
Perflurorooctanesulfonamide FOSA 754-91-6 X
Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid PFDS 335-77-3 X

York Analytical has also developed a new innovative analytical method called Total Oxidizable Precursor (TOP) Assay. This is a new method that used in conjunction with other conventional methods may aid in the understanding of a PFAS contaminated site. Ask us more about the TOP Assay.

What states are York Analytical Laboratories certified for PFAS analysis?

York Analytical Laboratories are certified to analyze PFAS as follows:

  • New York – Potable water, non-potable water & soil.
  • Connecticut – Potable water, non-potable water & soil.
  • New Jersey – Soil, Potable water
  • Pennsylvania –Potable water
  • Massachusetts – Potable water
  • New Hampshire – Potable water

How long does it take and what is the sample quantity required for PFAS?

With York Analytical’s dedicated PFAS laboratory in Queens, NY, the PFAS analysis typically takes seven business days to complete including a final report. The sample volume requirements for PFAS are summarized below:

Media Method Holding Times Container
Material No. Size Vol. Presv
Soil 537m 14 days Polypropylene 2 125 ml 50% capacity <=40 C
Non-Potable Water 537m 14 days High Density Polyethylene 2 250 ml 50% capacity <=40 C
Potable Water 537.1/537 14 days High Density Polyethylene 2 250 ml 50 % capacity TRIZMA, <=40 C

A field reagent blank (FRB) is required for any of the media types and check with your work plan or other regulatory requirements for additional quality control/quality assurance (QA/QC) samples.

Where can I get additional information?

For additional information, please view our website at yorklab.com or contact:

Rich August
raugust@yorklab.com
(203) 598-9829

Lou Russo
lrusso@yorklab.com
(914) 552-8196

Patty Werner-Els
pels@yorklab.com
(631) 300-6723

Main
clientservices@yorklab.com
(203) 325-1371 (PH)
(203) 367-0166 (FAX)

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