ASDWA Publishes New PFAS Laboratory Testing Primer and Technical Bulletin
ASDWA has published two new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) documents entitled, “Laboratory Testing Primer for State Drinking Water Programs and Public Water Systems,” and “Technical Bulletin to Laboratories Reporting PFAS Analysis Using EPA Methods 533, 537, or 537.1.”
Lab Primer: The ASDWA PFAS Laboratory Testing Primer for State Drinking Water Programs and Public Water Systems was developed for ASDWA by the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau and reviewed by the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and multiple state drinking water, laboratory, and laboratory accreditation programs across the nation. It provides guidance on how state drinking water programs can work with laboratories to test PFAS in drinking water samples collected from public water systems. The document provides information on eight topics:
- Selecting an analytical method
- Finding a qualified laboratory
- Specifying a PFAS list and the form that each PFAS needs to be reported in
- Specifying reporting limits
- Sample collection procedures
- Technical issues that cause variability in testing results
- Interpreting results
- USEPA’s ongoing work to develop new analytical methods
Technical Bulletin: The ASDWA Technical Bulletin to Laboratories Reporting PFAS Analysis Using EPA Methods 533, 537, or 537.1 was developed in partnership with the APHL to alert laboratories to inconsistencies when reporting analytical results for PFAS. State drinking water and laboratory programs can share this bulletin with their laboratories to ensure that test reports and electronic data deliverables, including those submitted by subcontracted laboratories, are:
- Following the EPA Reference Methods naming conventions for each PFAS form with the exact chemical name and CAS number
- Using anionic and acid form names correctly, and not interchangeably
- Addressing reporting issues with PFAS forms that share a common acronym or conversely, the same PFAS are named with different acronyms
For more information about PFAS and ASDWA’s PFAS efforts, go to www.asdwa.org/pfas.
