PFAS, the “forever chemicals”, are under growing scientific and regulatory scrutiny worldwide. Bio-Connect, distributor of LGC Standards, supports laboratories with trusted reference materials for reliable PFAS analysis.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become a major focus for regulators and scientists worldwide. These anthropogenic compounds have been manufactured since the 1940s and now comprise a group of several thousand chemicals, widely used in cookware coatings, food packaging, firefighting foams, textiles, clothing and other household goods.
Their water-, grease- and dirt-repellent properties, combined with high chemical and thermal stability, make PFAS extremely useful, but also highly persistent. Strong carbon–fluorine bonds mean that PFAS are often described as “forever chemicals”, with contamination of soil, air and water that can be both widespread and long-lasting.
Biomonitoring reflects this persistence. One report by the US Centers for Disease Control detected PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS in the blood of more than 95% of the US population over 12 years old. In parallel, over 5,000 PFAS-contaminated sites have been identified in the United States alone, with successful legal actions against multiple manufacturers. Reliably detecting and quantifying PFAS at these levels depends on high-quality reference materials, such as those supplied by LGC through its Dr. Ehrenstorfer™ portfolio.
PFAS enter the environment in several ways: losses during manufacturing that pass through wastewater treatment, the use of firefighting foams, washing and wearing of water-repellent textiles, and leaching from waste materials in landfills into soil. For most people, however, diet is considered the main exposure route. Research has identified multiple foodborne pathways, including the use of PFAS-containing processing and kitchen equipment, cooking in contaminated water, and migration from food contact materials (FCMs) such as grease- and water-resistant packaging [1].
A pioneering University of Southern California study on dietary intake and longitudinal PFAS concentrations reported findings consistent with a contribution from food packaging and food contact materials. For example, burritos, tacos, French fries and pizza prepared at home were associated with lower PFAS concentrations, whereas the same dishes eaten from restaurants were linked to higher PFAS levels in blood [1]. The study also observed that while eating nuts was associated with reduced PFAS levels, one additional serving of nut and seed butters, often wrapped in greaseproof paper, was associated with a substantial increase in perfluoropentane sulfonic acid (PFPeS) [1]. As the lead author noted, this suggests that even metabolically healthy foods can be contaminated with PFAS, and that we may need to rethink what “healthy food” means [1].
Beyond packaging, PFAS can reach food via contaminated soils and waters. Crops and grazing animals can absorb PFAS from biosolids and wastewater used in agriculture [1]. A study of the River Mersey in northern England estimated that the river exports around 68.1 kg of PFAS to the sea each year, while early estimates place PFAS concentrations in global oceans at several thousand ng/L [1]. Unsurprisingly, multiple studies now describe PFAS as becoming “pervasive” in certain seafoods and bioaccumulating in other fish species [1].
Over the past two decades, large epidemiological and toxicological studies have raised serious concerns about PFAS. A 69,000-person study in West Virginia linked exposure to PFOA (C8) in drinking water to a probable association with testicular and kidney cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and pregnancy-induced hypertension [1]. The US National Toxicology Program later concluded that both PFOA and PFOS pose potential immune-related risks to humans, with compelling evidence that they can suppress antibody responses; PFOS was also implicated in suppression of natural killer cell activity [1]. More recent work has associated several PFAS with liver damage, metabolic disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity [1]. Reflecting this, the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified PFOA as carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic [1].
Regulators have responded by restricting key PFAS. PFOS was among the first PFAS compounds to face major regulatory restrictions in Europe, and PFOA, PFOS and their precursors were later listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention and subsequently subject to extensive restrictions and phase-outs in the EU, US, Canada, Japan and Australia [1]. The Convention was extended in 2022 to include PFHxS, its salts and related compounds [1]. Within the EU, Directive (EU) 2020/2184 sets a maximum of 0.1 μg/L for 20 individual PFAS in drinking water, and 0.5 μg/L for the sum of all listed PFAS, covering perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoro sulfonic acids (PFSAs) from C4 to C13 [1]. EFSA recommends monitoring foods such as fish and dairy and has set a tolerable weekly intake of 4.4 ng/kg body weight for the sum of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS [1]. Regulation (EU) 2023/915 defines maximum limits for these PFAS in high-risk foods including eggs, fish, crustaceans and molluscs [1].
At the same time, LGC notes that current food monitoring and regulatory frameworks still focus on a small group of well-known PFAS, while thousands of other compounds remain largely unmonitored [1]. More advanced targeted and non-targeted analytical approaches will be needed to understand total PFAS burdens and support future group-based regulation, similar to existing approaches for dioxins and PCBs [1].
Analysing PFAS in food, water and packaging is technically demanding. PFAS comprise complex mixtures with different chain lengths, functional groups and degrees of fluorination, and they appear in diverse sample types such as water, sediments, soils, food matrices and paper or cardboard [1]. There is currently no universal method for PFAS analysis. Laboratories typically use high-performance LC-MS and GC-MS for qualitative and quantitative analysis, coupled with sample preparation techniques such as liquid–liquid extraction (LLE), solid phase extraction (SPE) and alkaline digestion [1].
In practice, laboratories face a number of recurring pain points: ultra-trace detection limits, complex matrix effects, extraction losses, and the need to demonstrate robust method validation under increasing audit pressure. At the same time, PFAS regulations and guidance values continue to evolve, requiring laboratories to expand their analytical scopes and update methods on a regular basis.
In recent years, the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) approach has been successfully applied to detect ultra-low PFAS traces in food matrices. This two-step workflow combines an acetonitrile salting-out extraction to pull PFAS from the matrix with a dispersive SPE clean-up using sorbents such as PSA [1]. When combined with advanced detection techniques like LC-HRMS and GC-MS/MS, QuEChERS enables highly sensitive PFAS screening [1].
To maximise detection, labs often combine non-specific methods that assess total fluorinated compounds (such as PIGE spectroscopy and NMR) with targeted LC-MS/MS to identify and quantify individual PFAS [1]. Across all these workflows, high-quality reference materials are essential to improve quantification accuracy, manage matrix effects, support validation and quality control, and generate traceable, defensible data.
Through LGC Standards, Bio-Connect gives laboratories access to one of the most comprehensive PFAS reference material portfolios available. This includes native PFAS standards, ¹³C-labelled internal standards, single- and multi-component solutions, regulatory mixtures and custom options designed to support a wide range of analytical workflows.
The Dr. Ehrenstorfer™ portfolio supports key global methods and regulatory frameworks, including EPA 1633/1633A, EPA 533, EPA 537/537.1, UCMR5, the EU Drinking Water Directive, the EU Groundwater Directive and UK DWI requirements. These materials are designed to help laboratories improve quantification accuracy, manage matrix effects, support validation and quality control, and generate traceable, defensible data as PFAS regulation continues to evolve.
Within this portfolio, laboratories can choose from:
Dr. Ehrenstorfer™ builds on more than 50 years of experience in planning, developing, producing, analysing, packaging and delivering high-quality reference materials for customers around the world. As part of LGC, the brand benefits from centres of excellence in Germany and the United States and from a global network of local teams. Close interaction with customers and deep knowledge of scientific and regulatory developments allow LGC to adapt its PFAS portfolio quickly as analytical needs and regulations evolve.
As the official Benelux distributor of LGC, Bio-Connect provides life science professionals and research groups with direct access to LGC’s broad PFAS portfolio, for applications ranging from drinking water and environmental monitoring to food analysis and broader PFAS research.
If you would like support in selecting the right PFAS reference materials for your analytical method or regulatory framework, contact Bio-Connect, we are happy to help you find the best solution for your laboratory.
[1] LGC. PFAS on our plate: The critical need for stronger food regulation and testing. LGC Standards partner portal publication.
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