The EPA recently released a report announcing the draft publication of another analytical method option to analyze PFAS. The draft method, performed as a single laboratory validation study, is a collaboration between the EPA and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
The EPA and the DoD’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) partnered to produce draft Method 1633, a method to test for 40 PFAS compounds. With the support of the agency’s Council on PFAS, EPA and DoD will continue to collaborate to complete a multi-laboratory validation study of the method in 2022.
According to the EPA, draft Method 1633 can be used in various applications, including National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The method will support NPDES implementation by providing a consistent PFAS method that has been tested in a wide variety of wastewater matrices and contains the required quality control procedures for a Clean Water Act (CWA) method.
Draft Method 1633 complements existing validated methods that test for PFAS in drinking water and non-potable water. It also complements existing Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) methods to test for 29 PFAS compounds in drinking water and a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) method for 24 PFAS compounds in non-potable water.
The environmental laboratory industry is currently evaluating draft Method 1633. Because it was performed as a single laboratory validation study, the scientific community will be interested in seeing the results of the anticipated multi-laboratory valuation study, which is expected in 2022.
For detailed information, please check out CWA Analytical Methods for PFAS. The EPA is also providing additional information related to FAQs related to PFAS methods and NPDES permits. Of note, as detailed in the FAQs, there are no current EPA-approved methods in 40 CFR Part 136 for analyzing PFAS. However, in the NPDES regulations, 40 CFR 122.21(e)(3)(ii) provides that: When there is no analytical method that has been approved under 40 CFR part 136, required under 40 CFR chapter I, subchapter N or O, and is not otherwise required by the Director, the applicant may use any suitable method but shall provide a description of the method. When selecting a suitable method, other factors such as a method's precision, accuracy, or resolution, may be considered when assessing the performance of the method.
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, biosolids by ASTM D7968-17 with Isotopic Dilution, and soil, wastewater, groundwater, and surface water by ASTM D7979-19 with Isotopic Dilution and ASTM D7968-17.