PFAS - Lower reporting limits (LOQ) for unclean waters

Regulation and actions to reduce the exposure of PFAS continue to be high on the agenda. This applies especially to drinking water but also monitoring of and introduction of guidelines/permits for “unclean” waters increase. For example, in the new EU compromise proposal (see link) from March (2024) for the Urban wastewater treatment directive (UWWTD) PFAS has been added as a major contaminant of concern that should be specifically measured. Although no specific limits are mentioned the text refers to the drinking water directive (DWD; (EU) 2020/2184) and its “sum of PFAS” (i.e. PFAS20) and “PFAS total”. In Denmark the ministry of the environment points out that the PFAS24 environmental quality standard (EQS) enforced in Dec 2023 will give the licensing authorities a bigger possibility to restrict releases from wastewater treatment plants and industries (see link). In France there is a regulation that requires that effluents discharged from industries incl potentially polluted rainwater should be monitored for 28 different PFAS (see link).  

Eurofins PFAS analysis

In response to the development and requirements for PFAS in wastewater, but also e.g. landfill leachates and process waters, we have now further improved our reporting limits (LOQ) for unclean waters. The lowering concerns about 25 compounds and the new LOQ is 0.3 ng/l (PFBS 0.6), reduced from 1 ng/l. All PFAS4 are included alongside common PFAS such as PFHxA, PFHpA, PFPeS, PFDA and 6:2 FTS. The improvement does not affect accreditation status, delivery time, sample amount or price. Some of the most common packages affected are listed below.

 Contact Eurofins experts!

Questions about PFAS can be answered by our analytical advisory service, which can be reached via customer support, 010-490 8110 or e-mail: sh-analys.miljo.se@etn.eurofins.com

Links

Draft EU UWWTP
FR PFAS regulation
Ministry of the environment (Miljøministeriet) DK