What is PFAS ?
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), such as PFOA and PFOS are man-made ‘forever chemicals’ that don’t readily break down in the environment or our bodies.
They have been widely used since the 1940s to make industrial and consumer products which are water, oil and stain repellent. They are also temperature and chemical resistant and have electrical insulating properties. PFAS are found in carpets, clothing, cosmetics, non-stick pans, furniture and food packaging. They are also used in firefighting products, hydraulic fluids and semiconductors. PFAS are water-soluble, so they can be detected in soil, drinking water and groundwater. Drinking water is recognised as one of the primary sources of PFAS exposure.
Should I worry about PFAS?
PFAS is now considered to be omnipresent, in all of our ecosystems including our food chains. As well as accumulating in the environment, PFAS can also build up in our bodies. Biomonitoring has found a range of PFAS in human blood and research suggests that continuous exposure to PFAS can lead to long-term health effects. PFAS is an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to thyroid disease and infertility, increased cholesterol levels, liver disease and kidney and testicular cancer. They have also been associated with low birth weight and other health concerns for babies.
Do I need to test for PFAS?
PFAS could be of particular concern to the following industries and individuals
- Users of private water supplies
- Water utility companies
- Wastewater treatment operators
- Water consultancy providers
- Landfill operators oil & gas operators
- Chemical plant operators
- Mining operators
- Airfield operators industrial sites impacted by use of aqueous film-forming foams (afff) e.g. fire stations, airfields and military bases.
PFAS regulations and PFAS guidance
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) issues formal guidance on PFOS and PFOA levels for water utility companies to consider when fulfilling their statutory duties on drinking water safety.
Any concentrations of PFAS equal to or greater than 0.1µg/L during sampling and monitoring of the wholesomeness of final water needs to be escalated by notifying the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) and local health authorities.
The Environment Agency (EA) has expanded the PFAS Range to include more substances for monitoring, following a report by its Chief Scientist’s Group. It recognised that quantifying the scale and nature of PFAS in the environment is challenging because of the number of individual substances.
PFAS testing
Eurofins can offer the most comprehensive PFAS testing analysis on the market with a range of different sampling options.
PFAS Sampling can be performed by grab sample or using Eurofins patented Sorbisense passive time average sampling technology depending upon sampling needs.
For more information about PFAS testing please click here to download our sales brochure.
PFAS water testing UK
Eurofins offer the most comprehensive and accurate PFAS water testing in the UK, consumables for sampling can be sent out nationally and samples are returned to our water chemistry laboratory in Wolverhampton.
For more information, please Contact us or call us on 0845 604 6740
