Merit Laboratories has become the first laboratory to be certified by the State of Michigan for PFAS testing in drinking water.  Merit’s certification for PFAS testing, using EPA Method 537.1, is through the Michigan Department of Environment , Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE). 

By becoming the first PFAS-certified laboratory for drinking water testing by the State of Michigan, Merit is approved to analyze samples in support of the new PFAS requirements adopted in early August. Michigan formally adopted a strict set of requirements regulating PFAS in drinking water with the adoption of the new maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), which went into effect on August 3, 2020.  

The establishment of enforceable MCLs for PFAS compounds requires compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act  (SDWA).  The PFAS drinking water MCLs replace the old groundwater cleanup standard of 70 ppt for PFOA and PFOS.

The MCLs for seven PFAS compounds include:

• PFOA: 8 ng/L (ppt)

• PFOS: 16 ng/L (ppt)

• PFNA: 6 ng/L (ppt)

• PFHxS: 51 ng/L (ppt)

• PFBS: 420 ng/L (ppt)

• GenX: 370 ng/L (ppt) 

• PFHxA: 400,000 ng/L (ppt)

Merit's list of certified PFAS substances includes a total of 18 compounds, including Michigan’s list of enforceable MCLs for PFAS. 

Merit Laboratories is a leading national PFAS environmental laboratory, analyzing drinking water, soil, wastewater, groundwater, and other sample matrices, including biosolids and sludge. Analytical methods performed by Merit for PFAS include drinking water by EPA 533, EPA 537.1, and EPA 537 rev. 1.1 and soil, wastewater, groundwater, and surface water by ASTM D7979 with Isotopic Dilution.