What Is PFAS?
PFAS analysis is the detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used as water and oil repellent finishes in textile products. The sample is extracted with the appropriate solvent and target compounds are measured by LC-MS/MS. Combustion ion chromatography can also be used for total fluoride screening.
Purpose of PFAS
The aim is to determine whether substances classified as persistent organic pollutants, such as PFOA, PFOS and their derivatives, are present in the product and to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
Which Products Is PFAS Applied To?
- Fabrics with water and oil repellent finishes
- Outerwear and outdoor textiles
- Carpet and upholstery
- work clothes
- Packaging and food contact paper coatings
In Which Sectors Is PFAS Used?
Standards Related to PFAS
- CEN/TS 15968 (extractable PFOA and derivatives — LC-MS/MS)
- TS EN ISO 23702-1 (tekstilde florlu maddeler)
- TS EN ISO 25101 (su matrisinde PFOS/PFOA)
PFAS Conditions
- Extraction
- With methanol or suitable solvent, ultrasonically assisted
- Measurement
- LC-MS/MS; target compound list determined by specification
- Unit
- µg/kg veya mg/kg
Equipment for PFAS
- LC-MS/MS
- Ultrasonic extraction bath
- Solid-phase extraction system
- Combustion ion chromatography (for total fluoride screening)
Sample Requirements for PFAS
- Representative sample from the finished surface
- Numune florlu ambalaj malzemesiyle temas ettirilmemeli
- Approximately 1 g specimen
- Target compound list should be clarified before analysis
Duration of PFAS
Analysis takes several working days due to extraction, cleanup, and LC-MS/MS measurement. The duration increases as the target compound list expands.
PFAS Procedure
- 1The sample is weighed and extracted with a suitable solvent.
- 2The extract is cleaned and concentrated.
- 3Isotope labeled internal standards are added.
- 4Target compounds are measured by LC-MS/MS.
- 5If necessary, total organic fluoride screening is performed.
- 6Results are reported on a compound-by-compound basis.
PFAS Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance criteria are the limits in POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 and REACH Annex XVII. This field is changing rapidly: the restricted compound list and thresholds are being updated, and extensive PFAS restriction studies are ongoing. The current limit to be applied to your product is confirmed from the legislation text at the proposal stage.
Evaluation of Results
A PFAS compound that is not on the target list will not appear in the targeted analysis. Screening for total organic fluoride may indicate the presence of a fluorinated substance not on the target list, but does not tell which compound; The two approaches complement each other.
PFAS Report
- Sample description and finishing information
- Applied method and target compound list
- Result and detection limit for each compound
- Varsa toplam organik flor sonucu
- Comparing legislation limit and source
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation (EU) 2019/1021
- (EC) 1907/2006 REACH Annex XVII
Environmental Analysis — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the PFAS test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Environmental analysis determines the presence and concentration of pollutants in water, soil, waste, air and flue gas samples. The output of this family is usually part of a permit, a declaration or an inspection file; the result has direct legal consequences.
In this family SAMPLING is half the result, and this is the feature that most sets the field apart. A sample taken at the wrong time, in the wrong container, under the wrong preservation or from the wrong point gives an invalid result no matter how well it is analysed in the laboratory. In waste water a grab sample and a composite sample give different information; in soil, surface and depth produce different results. Sampling therefore has its own standards and its own accreditation scope.
On the water side, physico-chemical parameters (pH, conductivity, turbidity, COD, BOD, suspended solids), ions, heavy metals, organic pollutants and microbiological parameters are measured. Drinking water and waste water carry different parameter sets and different limits; the same laboratory method leads to a different decision under the two regimes.
In soil and waste, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, PAH and PCB compounds and LEACHING BEHAVIOUR are determined. The leaching test carries a logic peculiar to this field: it is not the total amount of a pollutant in soil but the fraction that can pass into water that determines the environmental risk. Waste classification and the disposal decision rest largely on this test.
On the emissions side, dust, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, oxygen, moisture and total organic carbon are monitored in flue gas. Measurement is made on site under operating conditions and must represent the plant's actual operating regime; a measurement taken at low load does not show the emissions at full capacity.
Continuous measurement systems are a separate body of work. In large plants emissions are monitored continuously and the accuracy of these systems is verified periodically by comparison with independent measurements; the quality assurance framework governs this.
Noise and vibration measurements complete the environmental impact side of the field: environmental noise mapping, workplace noise exposure and vibration exposure measurements produce evidence for both environmental and occupational health legislation.
Method groups in this field
Sampling
Separate sampling standards for water, waste water, soil, waste, flue gas and ambient air; grab, composite and continuous sampling techniques.
Water physico-chemical
pH, conductivity, turbidity, colour, suspended solids, COD, BOD, TOC, alkalinity, nitrogen and phosphorus species.
Elemental analysis
Determination of heavy metals and trace elements in water, soil and waste by ICP-OES and ICP-MS.
Organic pollutants
Volatile organic compounds, PAH, PCB and organochlorine pesticides by GC-MS; hydrocarbon oil index.
Flue gas
Measurement of dust, SO2, NOx, CO, O2, moisture and total gaseous organic carbon; quality assurance of automated measuring systems.
Leaching and waste characterisation
Leaching tests and waste classification parameters; the basis for the disposal decision.
Commonly confused in this field
- An analytical result cannot be used on its own without the sampling record; the time, point, conditions and chain of custody are part of the report.
- Total content and leachable amount give different information; in waste classification, leaching behaviour is what counts.
- Emission measurement must be made under representative operating conditions of the plant; a result taken at partial load is misleading.
- Drinking water and waste water limits are defined in different legislation; the same parameter carries a different threshold under the two regimes.
- A sample from a single point does not represent the whole area; assessment of a contaminated site requires a grid-based sampling plan.
Which decisions these results support
- Compliance with environmental permits and discharge limits
- Quality assurance of continuous emission measurement systems
- Contaminated site assessment and the remediation decision
- Waste classification and selection of the disposal method
- Workplace exposure measurements and occupational health obligations
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About PFAS
We use a PFAS-free finish, is testing still required?
Most buyers require the declaration with documentation. Additionally, cross-contamination may occur if a fluoride finish has been used previously on the production line; The declaration and the measurement result do not always coincide.
Does total fluoride measurement replace PFAS analysis?
It doesn't pass. Total organic fluorine indicates the presence of a fluorinated substance, but does not tell which compound it is and whether it falls within the regulatory limit. Regulatory compliance is demonstrated by targeted LC-MS/MS.