Best practices for monitoring PFAS contamination in a routine shared-space commercial laboratory

In this whitepaper, Waters proposes a stepwise approach to control per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in shared-space laboratories. PFAS are toxic to humans, animals and the environment therefore effectively controlling contamination is important. The protocol involves rigorous washing and testing. It includes ensuring the LC-MS/MS system is PFAS-free, testing the reconstitution solution, and examining plastic collection tubes and the nitrogen evaporator. Methanol with the lowest PFAS level is used for washing labware and in the SPE procedure. Clean consumable items are reused, and a full wash procedure is repeated for permanent items between sample batches. This approach effectively minimizes PFAS contamination in the lab.