The 3 Levels of PFAS Testing
What kind of PFAS testing do you need? If you’re not sure where to start with PFAS testing, you’re not alone. With growing regulatory pressure and rising consumer expectations, more organizations are seeking to understand exactly what’s in their products, materials or water supplies. But effective PFAS testing starts with knowing what questions you need to answer.
Keep reading to explore the three levels of PFAS testing - what each one measures, when it’s used and how it fits into a smart, strategic approach.
What Is PFAS Testing?
PFAS testing refers to laboratory analysis designed to detect, identify and measure the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in environmental samples or manufactured products. These persistent, man-made chemicals are under increasing scrutiny due to potential human health and environmental impacts.
PFAS testing is essential for manufacturers, regulators, public water systems, utilities, environmental consultants and anyone who needs to demonstrate product safety, regulatory compliance or environmental stewardship. PFAS analysis should be conducted by accredited PFAS testing labs. Common applications include:
- Consumer products testing: Identifying PFAS in coatings, textiles, packaging materials or final products.
- PFAS water testing: Monitoring drinking water, tap water and other water sources for regulated PFAS compounds.
- Environmental monitoring: Tracing PFAS contamination in soil, surface water, groundwater, wastewater or other environmental media.
- Supply chain analysis: Investigating PFAS sources in raw materials, manufacturing inputs or finished goods from third-party suppliers.
- Regulatory and legal defense: Supporting compliance with state and federal regulations or defending against litigation.
Why PFAS Testing Strategy Matters
There are several different methods of PFAS analysis, from simple screening tests to more advanced analytical methods to identify unknown PFAS substances or quantify the amount of specific PFAS targets. Depending on your testing goals, you may need just one level of testing to answer a specific, targeted question. In other cases, a strategic, tiered approach to PFAS analysis may be required, starting with simple screening and progressing as needed based on the results.
For example, a company investigating packaging safety might begin with a low-cost fluorine test. If fluorine is detected, they may follow up with more targeted analysis to identify and quantify the specific PFAS compounds present.
A strategic testing approach saves time and money and ensures the data you collect can actually support decision-making.
The Three Levels of PFAS Testing
There are several different types of PFAS testing, each of which delivers different kinds of information. Depending on your goals, you may need to screen for the presence of fluorine, identify unknown compounds, or precisely quantify specific PFAS analytes. A strategic testing plan often progresses through these three levels, starting with broad screening and moving toward more targeted, detailed analysis if needed.
Understanding the differences between these approaches is essential for choosing the right testing method, controlling PFAS testing costs and getting results you can act on.
The three levels of PFAS testing, from total fluorine testing to target analysis
Level 1: Total Fluorine
If you’re just starting out and don’t yet know whether PFAS chemicals are even present, total fluorine testing is the place to begin. This is a broad screening tool that doesn’t identify individual compounds but rather checks for the presence of fluorinated substances in general. It’s a quick and affordable way to answer a foundational question: Should we be concerned about PFAS in this material or sample?
Because it doesn’t require identification or quantification of specific PFAS analytes, total fluorine testing comes at a low cost and typically offers fast turnaround times. It’s often used in early-stage evaluations—say, a packaging manufacturer trying to verify whether a new coating or material is PFAS-free. If the test finds no fluorine, you might be done. If it does, it’s a signal to dig deeper.
The most common methods for this level of testing are combustion ion chromatography (CIC) and particle-induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE). These techniques give you a yes/no answer and help determine whether further testing is needed, without the expense of jumping straight into advanced analysis.
Level 2: Non-Target Analysis / Suspect Screening
Once you know fluorine is present, but you don’t yet know if and what specific PFAS compounds you’re dealing with, non-target analysis (also known as suspect screening) is your next step. This method may be all about discovery. It’s used when you need to identify unknown or unexpected PFAS—a common challenge with complex or proprietary materials.
Let’s say you’re a manufacturer who discovers fluorinated compounds in a component sourced from a supplier. You don’t have detailed chemical information, but you need to know if and what PFAS might be involved. That’s where non-target analysis is helpful. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), this approach compares the sample against extensive PFAS libraries to identify possible matches.
While it doesn’t tell you how much of each compound is present, it provides a broad picture of what types of PFAS are in play. It’s more expensive than total fluorine testing, but it’s invaluable for product reformulation, regulatory risk assessment and next-step decisions.
Level 3: Target Analysis
When you need definitive, quantifiable data about specific PFAS compounds, target analysis is the method of choice. Target analysis is used to identify the presence of specific regulated substances and quantify the amount of each substance. It is typically used when quantifying concentrations of a known PFAS substance or checking for the presence and concentration levels of a limited number of PFAS substances. Target analysis is often required when results must meet specific regulatory standards like maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), support product certification or serve as defensible evidence in legal proceedings.
For example, a water utility would use this method to ensure that concentration levels for regulated substances comply with state or federal drinking water regulations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed specific analytical methods for PFAS in drinking water (EPA Method 537.1 targets 18 PFAS compounds, while Method 533 includes an expanded list of PFAS compounds including short-chain PFAS) and non-potable water (EPA Method 1633 targets 40 PFAS compounds, while EPA Test Method 8327 targets 24 PFAS compounds).
Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is widely regarded as the gold standard for target PFAS testing in regulatory contexts. This is the most precise and focused level of PFAS testing, designed to detect and measure exact concentrations of specific PFAS analytes at levels as low as parts per trillion. This level of testing is moderate to high in cost, due to the specialized instrumentation and strict quality controls involved; costs depend in large part on the total number of target analytes and matrices tested.
What Kind of PFAS Testing Do You Need?
Choosing the right level of testing depends on your goals, your PFAS sample type and the questions you need to answer. Working with a certified laboratory is essential to ensure data quality and regulatory acceptance—but not all labs offer the strategic guidance needed to select the most appropriate and cost-effective testing approach. A thoughtful testing plan can help you avoid unnecessary testing, reduce costs and ensure your results are both meaningful and defensible.
Battelle supports organizations at every stage of PFAS analysis, from initial screening to advanced compound identification and regulatory compliance. Our PFAS testing lab is equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation to ensure accurate, reliable results. We can help you build a testing strategy tailored to your materials, matrices and regulatory context, so you get the data you need in the most cost-efficient way possible.
Want to dig deeper into PFAS testing methods, strategies and EPA guidance? Download the white paper: A Strategic Approach to PFAS Analysis.
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