Global PFAS Testing Virtual Symposium - Advances in Testing & Occurrence - Day 1

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are now known to be ubiquitous, being detected in several matrices including water, air, soil, animals, commercial products and even in humans.

Yet, only a handful of PFAS have been monitored in detail globally while even fewer have had toxicological evaluations performed on them. With >6,000 estimated to have been commercially produced, the need for robust and reliable testing & analysis of these compounds is critical. This symposium, produced in collaboration with Agilent, will bring together experts in the field of PFAS from across the globe to discuss a wide variety of topics to improve PFAS testing for widescale monitoring and improved data quality in a number of different matrices.

Why Attend?

Learn about:

• The latest advances in quantification of legacy and novel PFAS
• Developing and accreditation for routine and regulatory PFAS methods including EPA and EU guidelines
• Novel analytical techniques to identify new PFAS
• Testing methods optimized for water, air, commercial products, textiles, soil and others.

Day 1 Program

PFAS Analysis: Application in the Water Works of Berlin, Germany

• Frederik Zietzschmann (Laboratory of Berliner Wasserbetriebe, Germany)

PFAS are an abundant class of legacy and current contaminants in the catchments of many water works around the world. In Berlin, Germany, PFAS are monitored extensively due to the prospective strict regulatory measures from the European Union and German environmental authorities. With required limits of quantification in the very low ng/L range, sensitive techniques are applied and potential improvements are explored. These analytical means are complemented by research activities regarding PFAS analysis, sampling, and removal, as well as contributions to national and international standardization. By attending this presentation you will learn that:

• Thorough monitoring of PFAS will be required by many water works due to strict regulatory limits
• Analytical sensitivity must be further increased to satisfy the required limits of quantification
• Technologies for PFAS removal must be improved to comply with limit values

Perspectives and Challenges of Commercial Environmental PFAS Testing in the USA

• Stephen Somerville (Technical Director – PFAS, Pace Analytical, USA)

As regulatory action on PFAS contamination and exposure expands globally, contract labs providing the necessary analyses face a challenging technical and business environment. Within the USA, there are very few standardized methods covering what are a wide variety of environmental and commercial matrices, with refinements and new methods rapidly being introduced to expand applicability and improve resultant data. New client investigations – driven by current, proposed, or expected regulations – drive technical innovation and lead to new commercial opportunities for contract labs. Maintaining a focus on technical quality and compliance while managing a wide range of applications and expectations, Pace strives to provide a portfolio of valuable product offerings to a rapidly evolving marketplace. By attending this presentation you will learn about:

• Overview of the rapidly evolving landscape of standardized PFAS test methods.
• Challenges in a commercial (i.e., production) laboratory, and how operational and technical systems are implemented to overcome them.

Novel Analytical Tools for Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Compounds and ISO21675

• Dr. Nobuyoshi Yamashita (Chief Senior Research Scientist at the Research Institute for Environmental Management, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan)

Development of ISO21675, the most recent International Standard Method for PFAS in water is described. Then, novel analytical tools for volatile/neutral PFAS in air and water are discussed. A brand-new technology, simultaneous analysis of neutral and ionizable per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in air is firstly reported in front of audience. This research tool enables the next generation of mass balance analysis of all PFAS in the environment, namely more than five thousand chemicals. Heart of lecture is “how important QAQC for PFAS analysis”. Sensitivity of "1 pg/L" with 10%RSD and "1 ng/L" with 50%RSD are completely different world. Which do you choose? By attending this presentation you will learn about:

• The history and advantage of ISO21675
• Simultaneous analysis of neutral and ionizable per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in air
• Quality assurance and quality control of solid phase extraction for PFAS in water and novel analytical techniques for PFAS analysis