Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and adsorbable organic fluorine (AOF) in water

OUR ANALYSES

Adsorbable Organic Fluorine (AOF) is a group of organic fluorine compounds that can be adsorbed onto specific materials, such as activated carbon. They mainly consist of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known for their persistence in the environment and their potential effects on human health.

Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds are widely used in industry, with over 4,700 molecules valued for their non-stick, waterproof, stain-resistant and heat-resistant properties. They are found in particular in outdoor textiles, food packaging, kitchen utensils (non-stick pans), firefighting foams, waterproofing agents, electrical insulators, waxes, varnishes, and more.

These compounds degrade slowly and are therefore highly persistent in the environment (soil, groundwater, surface water) and in aquatic organisms. They can also be found in drinking water and food. Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds are not broken down in the human body and bioaccumulate, thereby increasing health risks: high cholesterol levels, disruption of liver function, hypothyroidism, increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, etc.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies PFAS in Group 2B, “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.

Which types of water are affected?

Raw water: lake, river, borehole…

Drinking water: mains water, bottled water

Atypical water: highly mineralised water, carbonated water

Wastewater: urban and industrial

PFAS regulations

Water intended for human consumption: Directive (EU) 2020/2184 on the quality of water intended for human consumption sets a parametric value for:

• Le total des PFAS = 0,50 μg/L (totalité des substances alkylées per et polyfluorées).
• La somme des PFAS = 0,10 μg/L (somme de 20 substances alkylées per et polyfluorées considérées comme préoccupantes dont la liste est établie à l’annexe III partie B point 3 de la directive).

By 12 January 2024 at the latest, the Commission will establish technical guidelines on analytical methods for monitoring per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances under the “Total PFAS” and “Sum of PFAS” parameters, including regarding detection limits, parametric values and sampling frequency.

Environmental water: According to the notice on the limits of quantification for “parameter-matrix” pairs for the approval of laboratories carrying out analyses in the field of water and aquatic environments (version dated 19/10/19), an LOQ of 0.002 μg/L is set for 7 PFAS in freshwater (PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFDA, PFHxS, PFOS, PFDS).

Wastewater: LOQ notice for environmental wastewater: 0.05 μg/L for PFOS.

AOF regulations

Industrial discharges: The order of 20 June 2023 requires facilities classified for environmental protection (ICPE) subject to authorisation to carry out a campaign to identify and analyse PFAS in their aqueous discharges. This campaign includes estimating the total amount of PFAS present, expressed as fluoride equivalent, using the index method based on adsorption of organic fluorine (AOF).

Limit of quantification: 2 µg/L

The Phytocontrol solution

Phytocontrol has developed a method for analysing 25 perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) in freshwater, raw water, atypical water (carbonated and highly mineralised) and wastewater. This method covers the analysis of dissolved PFAS in water.

• In freshwater, raw water and atypical water, the limits of quantification are 0.002 μg/L for 12 PFAS, 0.005 μg/L for 6 PFAS, 0.01 μg/L for 3 PFAS and 0.02 μg/L for 4 PFAS.

• In wastewater, the limits of quantification are 0.02 μg/L for 12 PFAS, 0.05 μg/L for 6 PFAS, 0.1 μg/L for 3 PFAS and 0.2 μg/L for 4 PFAS.