Improving PFAS testing to meet today's most urgent needs: RJ Lee Group and Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc.

The Challenge of PFAS Testing

In the ever-evolving landscape of environmental testing, meeting emerging demands is crucial. This is especially true when it comes to testing for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of synthetic chemicals that have come under increased scrutiny by several agencies. Recent regulatory changes have increased the requirements for testing, analysis, and reporting for municipalities, other environmental stakeholders, and manufacturers alike.

Testing laboratories can fall short of the speed and specificity required to keep up with the increased demand created by PFAS regulations. Laboratories need cutting-edge technology and innovative methodologies to provide reliable, repeatable results in days instead of weeks. To ensure that our clients continue to receive the level of service they are accustomed to, RJ Lee Group collaborated with Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. to expand our testing and analysis capabilities to keep pace with increased demand.

A Strategic Partnership

Recognizing the increased challenges of PFAS testing, the scientific experts at RJ Lee Group teamed up with Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc., a global leader in analytical instrumentation, known for their state-of-the-art technology and expertise. By combining their strengths, the two companies aimed to create a robust, efficient, and scalable solution for PFAS testing.

Shimadzu's advanced instrumentation, including their ultra-fast and highly sensitive Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometers (LC-MS/MS and LC-QTOF), provided the technological backbone for this initiative. These instruments can detect PFAS at extremely low concentrations with high accuracy and precision, with less maintenance downtime, which are essential attributes for successful environmental testing.

RJ Lee Group’s team of scientists and client service professionals provided the experience, expertise, and customer support required to take on the challenge of implementing Shimadzu’s LC-MS technology and applying their extensive work in targeted and non -targeted PFAS analysis into new test methods.

Enhancing Capabilities

The experts at RJ Lee Group worked closely with Shimadzu's technical team to optimize testing protocols and develop new methodologies tailored to their specific needs. This included:

• Workflow Optimization: The partnership focused on streamlining workflows to improve efficiency and turnaround times without compromising accuracy.
  
  
• Custom Method Development: Together, the teams designed custom testing methods to address non-standard PFAS compounds, ensuring comprehensive analysis beyond typical regulatory lists.
  
  
• Training and Support: Shimadzu provided extensive training for RJ Lee Group's scientists, ensuring they were fully equipped to utilize the new technology to its maximum potential.

Meeting Increased Demand

The result of this collaboration is a significant enhancement in RJ Lee Group's PFAS testing capabilities. They can now offer:

• Rapid Turnaround Times: Optimized workflows and advanced, robust instrumentation enable RJ Lee Group to deliver results faster than ever before.
  
  
• Expanded Testing Range: The custom methods developed allow for the detection of a broader range of PFAS compounds, including those not typically covered by standard tests.
  
  
• Increased Accuracy: The sensitivity and reproducibility of Shimadzu's mass spectrometers ensure that even trace levels of PFAS can be accurately and reliably quantified.

Standardizing PFAS Testing in Consumer Products

Bans of PFAS in consumer products have been enacted in several states already, and several more are under consideration. The bans have necessitated reliable analytical testing to quantify PFAS levels in products, but the lack of standardized methods poses challenges.

To address this, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc., RJ Lee Group Inc., and ASTM International have collaborated to establish the first standardized method for quantifying extractable PFAS in consumer products using the Shimadzu triple quad LCMS-8060NX, LabSolutions software, and Insight multi-analyte quantitation software.

The developed method involves:

• Spiking samples with surrogate solutions
• Adjusting pH levels
• Tumble, filter, acidify, and adjust samples before centrifugation
• Analyze with LS LC-MS/MS on a Shimadzu LCMS-8060NX

Key results include:

• Calibration curves with a low percent relative standard derivation (%RSD) response demonstrating a high level of precision in the calibration process. 
• Effective recovery and repeatability of surrogates in various matrices across a broad range of consumer categories.
• Surrogate recoveries with minor losses and triplicate extractions with a low %RSD shows good precision and consistency in the extraction process, meaning that results are reproducible and reliable.

This new method significantly reduces the cost and time of sample preparation by eliminating the need for solid phase extraction. It lays the groundwork for ASTM's standardized method for PFAS analysis in consumer products, ensuring reliable and reproducible results across laboratories.

Your Scientific Consulting and Testing Partner

Collaboration between RJ Lee Group and our counterparts at Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. is just one example of how we are working together to not only improve the services we offer to our clients but to expand scientific understanding and improve scientific testing for the industry at large. Our scientists routinely collaborate on test methods for the EPA, ASTM, and other governing bodies, and Shimadzu’s cutting-edge technology can be found in laboratories around the world.

Whether you're looking to improve your own in-house testing capabilities or need to partner with a lab that can deliver rapid turnaround times, low detection limits, and non-targeted testing, contact RJ Lee Group to see how partnering with top equipment suppliers like Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. benefits you every day.

Share this article