Setting The Pace For PFAS Testing And Analyzing
Pace® is the largest American-owned laboratory network. It is one of the first commercial laboratories to offer PFAS testing services. As regulators push PFAS issues to the forefront, we have accelerated our growth. We are responding to rising demand. We are also adopting new methods, processes, and certifications to keep up with this fast-changing market.
We help our customers protect the environment and their communities. We also work with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other groups. Together, we advance the science of PFAS testing and analysis. Highlights of our capabilities and credentials include:
- PFAS testing for a wide range of aqueous and solid materials, including PFAS in drinking water, wastewater, landfill leachate, AFFF/F3, soil, biota, and more
- Certified/accredited by NELAC, ISO, DOD, DOE, and in every state with a PFAS lab certification program
- Drinking Water Centers of Excellence across the U.S.
- EPA-approved lab for UCMR 3, UCMR 4, and UCMR 5
- Reporting limits at or below all program requirements
- Participated in both single and multi-lab validation studies of EPA PFAS and Organic Fluorine test methods
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What Are PFAS?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of synthetic compounds. People value them for their useful properties, like resistance to heat, water, and oil. For decades, these chemicals have been used to produce hundreds of industrial and consumer products. These include non-stick surfaces, textiles, carpets, firefighting foams, electrical components, plastics, and more.
PFAS are bioaccumulative, meaning they build up in the bloodstream and tissue. Studies have found connections between some PFAS compounds and health problems. These include chronic kidney disease, thyroid issues, low fertility rates, and some cancers.
How Are PFAS Regulated?
As people worry more about how PFAS affects human health, lawmakers create more rules and regulations. These aim to assess and address PFAS in the environment. Today, a wide range of state and federal regulations covers PFAS chemicals to protect public health. Many of the primary programs are covered below.
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EPA recording and recordkeeping requirements.
Enacted in 1974, the SDWA grants the EPA the authority to set National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). In 2023, regulators proposed limits for PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, PFNA, PFHxS, and GenX Chemicals (HFPO-DA).
The EPA issues health advisories for contaminants not yet regulated by the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). The EPA says these health advisories show the level of a contaminant in drinking water. This level is safe for health and does not cause bad effects over certain time periods, like 1 day, 10 days, or a lifetime.
Health authorities cannot enforce health advisories. However, state and federal agencies can use them. They can help guide PFAS rulemaking, like the NPDWR to improve community water systems.
The CCL is a list of contaminants. These are not currently covered by any national drinking water rules.
However, they are known or expected to be found in public water systems. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the EPA to publish a new CCL every five years. This list often provides insights into which compounds the EPA is considering for future rulemaking. Experts expect CCL6 to include PFAS chemicals, either individually or as a category.
The SDWA requires the EPA to create a new list of 30 contaminants every five years. Public water systems must monitor these contaminants.
Candidates for the list of contaminants include chemicals and microbes. These are suspected to be in drinking water. However, there are no health-based standards for them under the SDWA.
In 2023, public water systems with 3,300 or more customers began testing for 29 PFAS and lithium. This testing is part of UCMR 5. Additionally, a random group of 800 small systems also started testing.
CERCLA, or Superfund, allows the EPA to act quickly when hazardous substances are released or may be released. The EPA intends to classify certain PFAS as hazardous substances under CERCLA. Once this happens, CERCLA gives the EPA the power to respond directly. This includes issuing cleanup orders for any release or existing contamination.
The EPA describes ELGs (Effluent Limitations Guidelines) as national rules. These rules rely on technology. They aim to control industrial wastewater that enters surface waters and public treatment plants.
ELG Plan 15 calls for setting PFAS limits on wastewater discharges from landfills (including leachate). Once set, these will be the first ELGs for PFAS. The plan also calls for more studies on PFAS discharges from other sources.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) created the NPDES program in 1972. It regulates the discharge of pollutants into U.S. waters (WOTUS). States can petition the EPA to administer their own NPDES program, and most states have received partial or full approval. Authorities authorize Tribal Lands separately.
Four states, NH, NM, MD, and MA, as well as most U.S. territories continue to rely on the EPA for NPDES permitting. In 2022, the EPA gave guidance that strongly encouraged adding PFAS limits in permits for wastewater and biosolids discharge.
Enacted in 1976, RCRA governs the disposal of solid and hazardous waste. Designating PFAS as a hazardous substance under CERCLA gives the EPA the power to require cleanup.
However, designating PFAS as hazardous under RCRA gives the EPA much more control. This includes control over the entire lifecycle of PFAS: manufacturing, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal. Listing PFAS under RCRA would also automatically designate it as a hazardous substance under CERCLA.
The TSCA forms the basis for the EPA's significant new use rule. It gives the agency the power to approve or reject new uses for dangerous chemicals, including PFAS.
Authorities may issue Low-Volume Exemptions (LVEs) for PFAS imported or manufactured in low quantities. The EPA plans to review past LVE decisions. They want companies to voluntarily give up their past exemptions.
The EPA toxicity assessments explain the adverse health effects of certain chemicals. They also show the exposure levels where these effects might happen. The EPA, federal agencies, state regulators, and local communities can use these assessments. They help decide when to address possible health risks.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) in 1986. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) includes part of the legislation. TRI tracks toxic chemical releases from factories into the environment. In 2019, the TRI industry reporting requirements included the first PFAS, and many more have joined the list since then.
The TSCA grants the EPA the authority to establish reporting, record-keeping, and testing requirements for chemical compounds. The EPA has the power from the TSCA. They expect PFAS manufacturers to pay for PFAS toxicity studies. The EPA has started giving testing orders to the industry.
Pace® PFAS Treatability Studies
Pace® PFAS Treatability Studies help clients evaluate the effectiveness of technologies and strategies for PFAS removal, remediation, and destruction.
By conducting a Treatability Study, environmental engineers and scientists can optimize remediation strategies, ensure regulatory compliance, and build public trust.
Materials Tested By Pace®
Legacy AFFF, the Class B firefighting foam used to fight chemical fires, typically contains PFAS. Newer fluorine-free foams (F3) are not always PFAS-free either. Pace® keeps communities safe. We offer testing services for AFFF, F3, and materials that may experience effects. This includes soil, surface water, and groundwater.
PFAS can become airborne in multiple ways, such as waste incineration, stack emissions, and leachate evaporation. Once PFAS is airborne, it can contaminate surrounding communities, impacting soil, groundwater, surface water, and private drinking water wells.
PFAS has been discovered in milk, eggs, deer, fish, and more. When humans consume these products, PFAS can build up in their bloodstream. Testing for PFAS in living things can be hard. However, Pace® has invested in the tools and knowledge to help our customers.
Pace® has developed several proven approaches for PFAS testing of consumer and industrial products.
UCMR 5 requires testing of many public water systems in 2023. New limits on several PFAS in drinking water have started during the end of 2024. Pace® is an EPA-approved lab for UCMR 5 and credentialed in every state. We provide PFAS water testing services to analyze PFAS in drinking water.
Many communities get their drinking water from underground aquifers or surface water, such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Pace® provides PFAS water testing services to analyze PFAS in non-drinking water. This helps local governments and industries with cleanup and control efforts.
The EPA found PFAS in 95% of the landfill leachate they tested. Leachate is likely a source of the contamination. Pace® provides leachate testing services for municipal, industrial, and private landfill operators.
Soil and sediment can become contaminated with PFAS from landfill leachate, wastewater discharge, biosolids, stormwater runoff, and more. Pace® offers PFAS testing for soil, sediment, and other solids. This includes incinerator ash, which can spread PFAS to nearby neighborhoods.
Traditional wastewater treatment does not remove PFAS and can convert PFAS precursors into terminal PFAS. Biosolids produced from contaminated wastewater often contain PFAS as well. Pace® provides testing services for wastewater influent and effluent, stormwater runoff, and biosolids.
Additional Resources
Need to find a lab that can handle your unique requirements?
Contact us directly or download our list of environmental certifications across our network.
On-Demand Webinar: Navigating the Complexities of Testing for PFAS in Plant and Animal Tissue
On-Demand Webinar: Quantifying PFAS in Consumer and Related Products: The Latest Developments
On-Demand Webinar: Navigating the Complexities of Testing for PFAS in Plant and Animal Tissue
On-Demand Webinar: Is PFAS Sample Cross-contamination Caused By Sampling?
On-Demand Webinar: EPA PFAS Test Methods Are Now Final, What That Means for Wastewater and Solid Waste Professionals
On-Demand Webinar: US EPA Information Collection Rule (ICR) Proposal for PFAS and NPDES