Groundwater Monitoring as PFAS Detection Foundation
Monitoring wells are the primary tool for characterizing PFAS groundwater contamination extent, concentration, and migration. Proper sampling protocols are critical because PFAS sampling errors—including field contamination from PFAS-containing equipment—can generate misleading data.
PFAS-Free Sampling Equipment Requirements
Standard purge-and-bail sampling equipment contains PFAS in pump tubing, bailers, and fittings. Dedicated PFAS-free sampling equipment using PTFE-free materials (stainless steel, HDPE, polypropylene) is essential to prevent equipment-sourced PFAS contamination of samples.
Low-Flow Sampling for PFAS
Low-flow sampling protocols that minimize turbulence and sample from the formation water rather than the stagnant well column reduce PFAS variability between sampling events. EPA Method 533 provides standardized PFAS analysis protocols with low detection limits for monitoring applications.
Data Quality Objectives
PFAS monitoring programs require rigorous quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) including field blanks, trip blanks, equipment blanks, and matrix spikes. Data quality objectives should specify acceptable PFAS method detection limits relative to the applicable regulatory criteria being evaluated.