PFAS in water

Water is one of the most tested environmental matrices for the presence of PFAS. Water can be a vehicle for contamination to food and packaging.

In the United States, the approach towards the water matrix is the most comprehensive: EPA is following a strategic roadmap and has designated ‘health advisory levels’ as reference limits for the presence of PFAS in water.

At the European level, the presence of PFAS in water for human use has been regulated for the first time in a harmonised way through the European Directive 2020/2184, which the Member States have begun to transpose into national law. Despite some differences in screening and still questions to be addressed (the Commission itself gives itself a deadline of 12 January 2024 to establish technical guidelines on analytical methods with regard to PFAS monitoring and consequently the definition of total PFAS), there are national and international standards for testing.

The analysis concerns not only water for human use (i.e. drinking water and also process water used by the food industry, for example), but also wastewater and groundwater.

In this regard, at Mérieux NutriSciences we integrate into the screening of PFAS in water the molecules generally considered in the past as possible substitutes or precursors. Which are considered hazardous to health, such as GEN X, ADONA and fluorotelomers.