New Standard Provides Sampling Methods For PFAS In Environmental Media

The ASTM guide contains a comprehensive overview of sampling methods and concerns.

ASTM International’s environmental assessment, risk management and corrective action committee (E50) has approved a new standard (E3511) that will provide a comprehensive overview of sampling methods and concerns specific to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in environmental media.

Environmental media refers to water, soil, and biologic organisms that can contain or transport contaminants.

“This new standard provides best practices for the collection of samples from a range of environmental media for PFAS analysis,” says ASTM member Eileen Snyder, regional technical coordinator, Pace Analytical Services. “The standard offers a logical approach to a complex topic. It will streamline the work of practitioners by standardizing these best practices across environmental media.”

Snyder notes that the new standard will be useful to industry, manufacturers, regulatory agencies, testing laboratories, environmental practitioners, and consumers. The standard provides detailed information on:

• Project planning considerations;
• Sampling program design elements;
• Sample collection considerations;
• Sample media-specific collection considerations;
• Field quality control samples, and;
• Resources.

This effort directly relates to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6 on clean water and sanitation.

ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards. Become a member at www.astm.org/JOIN. The task group that developed E3511 invites interested parties to help in the development of a proposed standard on PFAS source differentiation approaches using forensics applications (WK96796).

To purchase standards, visit https://www.astm.org/contact.

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