by Richard Jack, PhD., Global Market Development Manager, Phenomenex
Ever since the first fluoropolymer compound was patented in 1934, manufacturers have turned to these per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to create firefighting foams, nonstick pots and pans, water-repellent clothing, electrical insulation, and more. Over the last 90 years, the number of PFAS molecules has risen to several thousand with a range of chemical properties. Some PFAS are more volatile, others are more hydrophilic. Still, others are branched. To manufacturers, these traits—and the properties they imparted upon the final product—were the characteristics that really mattered.
In the days before the widespread use of gas and liquid chromatography as well as mass spectrometry, chemists identified PFAS molecules by these physical traits. Testing required large amounts of material, and inspecting local wastewater and drinking water supplies for PFAS contamination was almost impossible. For decades, PFAS contamination went unnoticed and unchecked.
On March 16, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS, which puts limits on the concentration of these compounds that can be found in drinking water. Experts in this area expect the agency to finalize guidance by the end of 2023, with additional rules and guidance coming down the pipe soon. Regardless of the specifics that are set by the EPA, complying with these regulations will require testing—and lots of it.
As someone who has been in the chemical analysis field for two decades, I have seen the field evolve from targeted analyses that could only detect specific compounds to current-day sophisticated, untargeted methods that can identify vanishingly small levels of unknown PFAS. Modern testing labs can now detect PFAS in the range of parts per quadrillion. It’s the equivalent of finding a single drop of water in Lake Michigan. And we can perform many more of these tests because sample throughput efficiency has also increased. Five years ago, many contract labs were testing maybe 50 samples each month. Now we can test 100 times that amount.
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