Review of ASTM D8421-21 Standard Test Method for the Rapid, Cost-Effective Analysis of PFAS in Highly Contaminated Wastewaters

This paper reviews ASTM test method D8421 for the LC-MS/MS analysis of PFAS in highly polluted samples. This test method covers the determination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in aqueous matrices using liquid chromatography (LC) and detection with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). ASTM D8421 contains 44 target analytes and 24 isotopes which were validated using the LC/MS/MS conditions in the test method. ASTM Committee D19 on Water performed an extensive validation on nine highly contaminated wastewater samples provided by the EPA. The validation study demonstrated acceptable method performance of ASTM D8421 for the Clean Water Act. With this method, highly contaminated wastewaters containing high suspended solids or high organic loads can be analyzed with minimal interferences or loss of analyte. Readers will learn how this method offers a rapid, cost-effective approach, making it suitable for labs with appropriate instrumentation.

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