EFFICIENT PFAS TESTING
Canadian PFAS Deadline – January 29, 2025
A fundamental rule of PFAS testing : “No fluorine. No PFAS”
Claigan PFAS testing combines high accuracy testing of fluorine contact for the presence of PFAS polymers with high resolution LC-MS/MS testing for parts per billion (ppb) concentration of water soluble PFAS salts.
- Testing of fluorine concentration by state-of-the-art WD-XRF
- Testing concentration of water soluble PFAS by LC-MS/MS
WD-XRF is a more efficient and effective approach to fluorine concentration testing over combustion bomb ion chromatography (CB-IC). CB-IC is dependant on a homogenous material and tends to ‘miss’ fluorine coatings and agents on the surfaces of plastics and rubbers.
WD-XRF allows the detection of very low parts per million (ppm) levels of PFAS in coatings or a residue from release agents. Detection that is not available with CB-IC. ~30% of fluorine positives over 50 ppm detected by WD-XRF are non-detect by concentration combustion bomb ion chromatography.
IMPORTANCE OF PFAS TESTING
PFAS are becoming regulated in every major jurisdiction in the world. Key legislations include:
- Restriction of water soluble PFAS (PFOA and the related longer chain perfluoroalkylcarboxylates LC-PFCA)
- Examples – EU POP Regulation, EU REACH Regulation, Canadian Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances, and US TSCA
- Reporting of PFAS use
- Examples – Maine PFAS reporting, Canadian CEPA (Section 71), upcoming EU REACH PFAS reporting, and US TSCA reporting
- Restriction of PFAS polymers
- Examples: California AB 1200 and upcoming EU REACH PFAS Restriction
PFAS CHEMICALS
There are two principle families of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in articles:
Fluorinated polymers, such as PTFE and PVDF
Water soluble fluoro salts such as PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, and PFOS
There are other PFAS used to manufacture products (such as polyfluoroethers for degreasing after machining or fluoroethanes as aerosol propellants), but the two principal PFAS found in articles (physical products) are fluorinated polymers and water soluble fluoro salts.
Fluorinated polymers (such as PTFE) are normally intentionally added to and have a function in a product. The water soluble PFAS (such as PFOA) are either a process aid in the manufacturing of fluorinated polymer (such as PFOA being used to control the powder size of PTFE during manufacturing) or a degradation product during manufacturing (such as the cleavage of the ester bond in PFA polymers or irradiating PTFE). Water soluble PFAS are rarely intentionally added to a product and normally have no function in a product.
Many water soluble PFAS salts (such as PFOA and longer perfluorocarboxylates) are restricted in the EU and Canada. PFAS polymers have few restrictions globally (outside of some US state application specific legislation), however there are both emerging reporting requirements and restrictions in the EU, US, and Canada.
European Compliance
RoHS, REACH SVHC, SCIP, REACH Restriction, MDR, POP, WEEE, EU Packaging
North American COMPLIANCE
Maine PFAS, Proposition 65, Canadian Prohibition, TSCA, US Packaging, FDA Latex, Health Canada
Asia PACIFIC CoMPLIANCE
China RoHS, Australia Asbestos, UAE RoHS, KSA RoHS