Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

1. Introduction

PFAS are widely used, long-lasting compounds whose constituent parts degrade gradually over time. Around 6000 different compounds fall under this broad category, including PFOA (perfluoro octanoic acid), PFOS (perfluoro octane sulfonate), and many others. Many PFAS are detected in the blood of people and animals worldwide and are prevalent at low levels in a variety of food products and the environment due to their extensive use and persistence in the environment. In many parts of the country and the world, PFAS have been discovered in the water, air, fish, and soil. According to studies, exposure to certain PFAS in the environment may have negative impacts on both humans and animals' health.⁽¹⁾

The PFAS chemical family is used in a variety of products, including but not limited to: ⁽³⁾

Food packaging materials, coating additives
Non stick cookware
Various kinds of fabric
Furniture, paint and carpet stain protection applications
Clothing
Cosmetics
Industrial processes
Fire-fighting foam
Chrome plating processing
Cleaning products and pesticides
Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF)

2. How Are People Exposed to PFAS?

By area and profession, human exposure to PFAS varies in intensity. Our soil, air, and water have all been poisoned by these manmade toxins. The most typical ways that people are exposed to these chemicals are via breathing in PFAS-contaminated air, using PFAS-containing products, or consuming contaminated water or food. The evaluation of human exposure is ongoing.⁽⁴⁾

3. Why Should We Care About PFAS?

Different scientific research have uncovered and validated a number of health consequences linked to PFAS exposure. Concerns about PFAS' impact on public health have arisen due to the following factors.:

Researchers have discovered PFAS in human blood and urine, and they want to know if they have any negative health effects.
There are numerous potential for human exposure to PFAS due to its widespread use in hundreds of goods.
There have been found to be more than 9,000 PFAS.
Unknown duration of PFAS environmental persistence.
Different PFAS compounds may be ingested by people in a variety of ways. People might consume more of the chemicals over time than they can expel, which could result in bioaccumulation in their bodies.⁽⁴⁾

4. Regulations

The FDA regularly checks the amounts of PFAS in the foods and goods that people use or eat most frequently. The FDA conducts safety assessments if the levels are detectable to determine whether they can harm human health or whether further research is necessary. The FDA banned the use of specific PFAS types, known as long-chain PFAS, in food packaging in 2016. It was discovered to be hazardous to both human and animal health.⁽⁵⁾The Safe Drinking Water Act grants EPA the authority to require public water systems to be monitored and to create enforceable National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) for contaminants in drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to regulate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoro octane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water in a final determination published in March 2021 titled Regulatory Determinations for Contaminants on the Fourth Contaminant Candidate List.

The EPA is drafting a proposed National Drinking Water Regulation for PFOA and PFOS, which will be released by the end of 2022. In addition to taking this action, the EPA is also analyzing other PFAS and thinking about regulatory actions to address specific PFAS groupings.⁽⁶⁾

REACH restrictions

Following a decision by the European Commission on a proposal by the German and Swedish authorities, per fluorinated carboxylic acids (C9-14 PFCAs), their salts, and precursors will be restricted in the EU/EEA beginning in February 2023. Furthermore, in January 2022, ECHA submitted a restriction proposal for PFASs used in firefighting foams. This proposal is up for public comment from March 23 to September 23, 2022. The proposed restriction is currently being reviewed by ECHA's scientific committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC). This application is not included in the broader PFAS restriction being developed by the five European countries.⁽⁷⁾

Regulation on Classification, Labelling, and Packaging (CLP)

Under the CLP Regulation, a few PFASs already have harmonised classification and labelling. These are some examples:

perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA);
ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate (APFO);
perfluorononan-1-oic acid (PFNA) and its sodium and ammonium salts;
nonadecafluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and its sodium and ammonium salts.

The EU's chemicals strategy for sustainability prioritises PFAS policy. The European Commission has committed to phase out all PFASs, allowing their use only where irreplaceable and essential to society.⁽⁷⁾

Water for Drinking: The recast of the Drinking Water Directive, which went into effect on January 12, 2021, includes a 0.5 g/l limit for all PFAS. This is consistent with a grouping strategy for all PFASs.

Food: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established a new safety threshold for the following perfluoroalkyl substances that accumulate in the body in September 2020: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). The threshold, 4.4 nanograms per kilogramme of body weight per week, is part of a scientific opinion on the risks to people's health from the presence of these substances in food. The scientific advice provided by EFSA will assist risk managers in making decisions about how to best protect consumers from PFAS exposure through food.

5. Methods commonly used for PFAS testing:

Method 537.1 (2018–2020): SPE and LC/MS/MS Determination of Selected PFAS in Drinking Water
SPE and LC/MS/MS Determination of Selected PFAS in Drinking Water (Method 537) (2009 - listed for historical purposes) • Isotope Dilution Anion Exchange SPE and LC/MS/MS for the Determination of PFAS in Drinking Water (Method 533) (2019)
MRM LC/MS/MS and Method 8327: PFAS Calibration Using External Standards (2019)
OTM (Other Test Method)-45
SW-846 Test Procedure 0010: Sampling Train Using Modified Method 5 ⁽⁸⁾

6. The advantages of Eurofins

The Eurofins group's network laboratories have considerable experience analysing PFAS in all matrices, including

Drinking water
Soil, Sediments and other solids
Food, packaging and dairy
Ground water and surface water
Air and emissions
Biota, vegetation
Commercial products
Waste water, sludge, bio solids

Eurofins offer analysis for a range of PFAS substances, including but not limited to -

Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids
Perfluoroalkyl sulfonates
Perfluorooctane sulfonamide
Perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetic acids
Perfluorooctane sulfonamide ethanol’s
Fluorotelomer sulfonates

Our Capabilities

TOP (Total Oxidizable Precursors) Assay
Appropriate analyte lists
Isotope dilution and recovery connection
Multi-matrix compatibility
Accuracy and precision independent of concentration
Carefully researched and validated sample handling

Using LC/MS/MS and HRMS technologies, we provide analytical services on a variety of matrices, including food packaging materials, coating additives, drinking water, groundwater, soil, and consumer products.

References:

https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained
https://www.iasabhiyan.com/what-are-per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances/
https://www.eurofins.in/food-testing/services/pfas/
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc/index.cfm
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-pfas
https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
https://echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/perfluoroalkyl-chemicals-pfas
https://www.epa.gov/water-research/pfas-analytical-methods-development-and-sampling-