Merit Laboratories recognizes organizational leaders in PFAS science, which includes The Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC). The ITRC is a state-led coalition working to reduce barriers to the use of innovative air, water, waste, and remediation environmental technologies and processes. ITRC produces documents and training that broaden and deepen technical knowledge and expedite quality regulatory decision making while protecting human health and the environment.

ITRC provides a national perspective with public and private sector members from the Department of Defense (DoD), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy (DOE), along with all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

ITRC has created PFAS technical fact sheets and videos that include resources on the following topics:

Sampling

• Equipment and Supplies

• Bottle Selection

• Sample Preservation, Shipping, Storage, and Hold Times

• Decontamination Procedures

• Field QC Samples

• Sampling Procedure

Analytical Methods and Techniques

• Quantitative

• Qualitative

Data Evaluation

• Pre-Sampling Planning

• Overall Usability of the Data

• Target Analyte Lists

• Linear and Branched Isomers

• Isotope Dilution Standard Results and Surrogates

• Blank Contamination

• Duplicate Results

• Acid Versus Anion Form of PFAAs

Of special interest in these PFAS training documents, ITRC states that the data user should work with the laboratory to ensure that the correct list is being reported, as dictated by the project objectives. ITRC also recommends that data users should ensure that the contracted laboratory is performing the integration of the target PFAS to include both linear and branched isomers.

Merit Laboratories works closely with its clients to ensure that the most appropriate PFAS method, list of PFAS compounds, and associated reporting limits are selected for each project to achieve the program-specific data quality objectives (DQOs). To support PFAS investigations, monitoring, and scientific studies, Merit Laboratories provides analytical testing for 46 PFAS compounds by LC/MS/MS with isotopic dilution.

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 D7979-19 with Isotopic Dilution and ASTM D7968-17.