Pace® Analytical Services Partnered With EPA to Validate Newly Released Draft Method 1621 for PFAS Testing

MINNEAPOLIS, May 13, 2022 (Newswire.com) - Pace® Analytical Services, a division of Pace® Science and Technology and the preferred provider of in-lab, mobile, emergency onsite specialty-contaminant, and regulatory testing and analysis services, announced today that it will be adding the newly released EPA Draft Method 1621 to its portfolio of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) test methods.

"Pace® provides PFAS testing for a wide variety of complex matrices," said Nick Nigro, PFAS Product Manager for Pace® Analytical Services. "Thanks to our experience with PFAS testing, and in particular our early advancements in the evolving organofluorine testing space, it was extremely gratifying to be chosen to perform the single-lab validation for Draft Method 1621. We were proud to collaborate with EPA and its technical support team in the development of this new method."

EPA Draft Method 1621 is described by the EPA Office of Water, Engineering and Analysis Division as a "Screening Method for the Determination of Adsorbable Organic Fluorine (AOF) in Aqueous Matrices by Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC)." As drafted, this new method can quantify at the parts per billion level, thousands of PFAS compounds in all aqueous matrices. 

"The method does not quantitate individual PFAS compounds," said Nigro, "but it does provide a reading for the total organofluorine concentration in a sample. This testing methodology will help bridge the knowledge gap between the relatively few compounds we routinely quantify using 'targeted' PFAS test methods and what we all know are thousands of PFAS compounds."

EPA Draft Method 1621 advances EPA's goal of developing new methods for detecting PFAS in water, air, and land as outlined in the EPA PFAS Strategic Roadmap. At this time, Draft Method 1621 is not required for regulatory compliance at either the state or federal level. However, in its commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in testing standards, Pace® has added the new method to its growing PFAS testing portfolio. Pace® works with wastewater professionals, water quality managers, industrial site managers, and others to determine the best method to use for individual projects and goals. 

Pace® will also be participating in the multi-lab validation of Draft Method 1621, which is expected to take place this summer. The EPA Office of Water will use the data from the multi-lab validation study to finalize the method and add formal performance criteria. More information on PFAS and detection test methods can be found at PFAS.com.

Pace® is a portfolio company of Los Angeles-based Aurora Capital Partners and Leonard Green & Partners.

About Pace®
Pace® makes the world a safer, healthier place. For decades, Pace® people have been committed to advancing the science of businesses, industries, consulting firms, government agencies, and more by providing local-level service backed by a national laboratory network. For customers with in-house labs, Pace® provides a range of professional services to keep their operations moving forward. Pace® people work in partnership with customers by providing the service, science, and the data they need to make critical decisions that benefit us all. Learn how Pace® people are working to advance science through sustainable practices and continuous innovation at Pace®.

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Media Contact: Pam Bednar | [email protected]

Source: Pace® Analytical