The gold-standard technique for PFAS testing is:
👉 Liquid Chromatography – Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
LC-MS/MS is a highly sensitive laboratory technique used to detect and measure very small amounts of chemicals—often down to parts per trillion.It works in two main steps:
- Liquid Chromatography (LC):
The sample is passed through a column to separate PFAS from other substances in the water. - Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS):
The separated PFAS molecules are ionized, then measured by two mass spectrometers in sequence, allowing scientists to identify and precisely quantify each PFAS compound. - Paper-spray Mass Spectrometry
Paper-spray mass spectrometry method capable of detecting PFAS compounds in water, soil and packaging materials in under three minutes. (“Rapid detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using paper spray-based mass spectrometry”)
Because PFAS occur in extremely low concentrations and include many chemically similar compounds, LC-MS/MS is considered the gold standard for PFAS testing due to its accuracy, sensitivity, and ability to distinguish individual PFAS chemicals.