Ian Wan, PromoChrom Technologies 

As concerns over PFAS contamination continue to grow, laboratories are expanding their analyses beyond water to include complex matrices such as tissue, soil, and serum. However, these non-aqueous samples introduce additional challenges, requiring more intensive extraction processes and greater personnel involvement. 

EPA Method 1633 provides a standardized approach for achieving low detection limits across aqueous, solid, biosolid, and tissue samples. However, non-aqueous matrices require more extensive extraction times and personnel involvement due to the need for solvent extraction, dispersive SPE (dSPE) cleanup, and sample concentration prior to SPE. The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene has developed a simplified workflow that eliminates dSPE and concentration steps by reconstituting tissue extracts to 250 mL and processing them directly using an automated SPE system. This approach aligns with their existing workflows for water samples, significantly reducing hands-on time while maintaining efficiency. By utilizing GCB/WAX stacked cartridges on their current SPE systems, the lab has successfully streamlined operations and saved hours of manual labor per sample batch. Results and practical considerations surrounding tissue matrices will be discussed. 

Not covered under EPA methods, serum and plasma samples are assessed by public health labs, government agencies and clinical labs following in-house and CDC methods. Given the high throughput demands and small sample volumes typical of these applications, another state lab is exploring an automated parallel processing approach to enhance efficiency for large batches of serum samples. Preliminary validation results demonstrate strong recoveries and reproducibility, paving the way for further development. 

This presentation will highlight advancements in automated PFAS extraction workflows for non-water matrices, demonstrating how laboratories can improve efficiency and reduce manual effort while adapting to evolving analytical demands.