Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.

Drinking water can be a source of exposure in communities where these chemicals have contaminated water supplies. Such contamination is typically localized and associated with a specific facility, for example,an industrial facility where PFAS were produced or used to manufacture other products, or locations where sludge may have been spread on fields. PFOA, PFOS, and GenX have been found in a number of drinking water systems due to localized contamination. View the State of Maine's fact sheet here

In June 2021, the Maine Legislature established a new interim State drinking water standard of 20 ng/L for the combined sum of six different compounds: PFOA, PFOS, PFHpA, PFNA, PFDA, and PFHxS. For more information about PFAS and the health risks associated with it please visit the State of Maine Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) website

There are very few laboratories throughout the United States that are accredited for testing for PFAS. Our parent company, Granite State Analytical, is now accredited for EPA 537. We have numerous test kits on hand to quickly supply you with the sample bottles that you need. We offer many free shipping locations through out the State of Maine and will handle the transport of the samples from our laboratory to Granite State Analytical. We will report all of your result in a timely manner and are available to answer any questions should they arise.

Comparison of Compounds in Packages

EPA 533 Chain of Custody

EPA 537 Chain of Custody