Accurate laboratory results begin long before samples arrive at the laboratory. Proper field sampling techniques are essential for minimizing the potential for cross-contamination and ensuring data quality. Because PFAS compounds are found in many everyday consumer products, extra care should be taken during sample collection.
Advancing its commitment to supporting a comprehensive federal services program, Merit Laboratories has expanded its DoD ELAP accreditation to include Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) sample preparation.
Merit Laboratories is pleased to announce its participation in the 2026 International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds (Battelle Chlorinated Conference), taking place May 31 – June 4, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Recognized globally as one of the leading conferences for environmental remediation professionals, the event brings together scientists, engineers, consultants, regulators, and industry leaders to advance solutions for complex environmental challenges.
Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) is an increasingly accepted approach for characterizing soil contamination and reducing the uncertainty commonly associated with traditional discrete sampling methods. By collecting and combining multiple increments from a defined area, ISM is designed to provide a more representative estimate of mean contaminant concentrations within a designated decision unit.
Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) is increasingly used across the environmental industry to evaluate soil contaminants. Unlike traditional discrete sampling, ISM collects numerous soil increments that are combined, processed, and subsampled to produce more representative measurements of contaminant concentrations within a defined area.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released updated health advisories in June for PFAS compounds in drinking water. These new limits significantly reduce the guidelines previously established in 2016. The new drinking water interim health advisories reduce the limit for both PFOA (perfluoro-octanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluoro-octane sulfonate).
Nearly one in every eight community water systems in Illinois were found to have PFAS detections in drinking water. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the completion of an 18-month statewide sample collection study of PFAS in drinking water. The study collected drinking water from over 1,000 community water systems (CWS). According to the Illinois EPA, 126 of the 1,107 CWSs sampled had confirmed PFAS detections.
The State of Michigan’s groundwater clean-up rules now officially include PFAS compounds, based upon the state’s PFAS limits in public water supplies. Limits for seven PFAS compounds were officially added to the groundwater clean-up rules by the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) on February 15, 2022. The generic clean-up criteria (GCC) for the seven PFAS compounds are as follows
The Michigan EGLE recently added Harbor Island in Grand Haven to their list of PFAS sites. The Grand Haven site is a natural marshland at the mouth of the Grand River as it flows into Lake Michigan. The site was first used as a landing point for logging operations. During the 1950s and 1960s the site was used as a dump. The coal-fired J.B. Sims Generating Station began operating in the early 1960s by the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power (GHBLP). Coal ash wastes were disposed of in unlined lagoons and the adjacent wetlands. In the early 1980s, clay lined lagoons were constructed for coal ash management.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has filed administrated rules to create the first groundwater quality standards for PFAS chemicals in the state. According to the IEPA in a recent announcement, it has submitted amendments to 35 Illinois Administrative Code (Ill. Admin. Code) Part 620 to the Illinois Pollution Control Board (Board).
Advocates for the health of Wisconsinites are hopeful that the state’s Natural Resources Board (NRB) will vote on establishing PFAS regulatory limits for both surface water and drinking water at its next meeting. The NRB, which sets policy for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has scheduled its next meeting for February 22-23 in Madison.
The U.S. EPA has published the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). UCMR 5 requires sample collection for 30 chemical contaminants between 2023 and 2025 using analytical methods developed by EPA and consensus organizations. This action provides EPA and other interested parties with scientifically valid data on the national presence of these contaminants in drinking water. PFAS are included in the UCMR.
The number of PFAS-contaminated sites in Wisconsin continues to grow at a rapid rate. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) released a PFAS Action Plan to address growing public health and environmental concerns regarding PFAS in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin PFAS Action Council (WisPAC), a group of nearly 20 state agencies and the University of Wisconsin System, developed the plan, as part of a statewide initiative to ensure Wisconsinites have access to clean, safe drinking water.
In what many scientists believe will be a significant advancement in analytical testing methodology, ASTM is planning to release a new Standard Test Method for PFAS in aqueous sample matrices. This new method, ASTMD8421-21, utilizes Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) with Isotope Dilution (ID). It is anticipated to be the first published ASTM method for PFAS that incorporates isotope dilution in the actual method and not simply a footnote.
The U.S. EPA has released a report on Human Health Toxicity Values for Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid (PFBS) and Related Compound Potassium Perfluorobutane Sulfonate (CAS #29420-49-3). PFBS is a member of a larger group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This assessment is part of EPA’s efforts to increase the amount of research and information that is publicly available on chemicals in the PFAS family. It was developed by the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA).
