Quality Systems Manual (QSM 5.1) for
Environmental Laboratories
The United States of America’s Department of Defense (DoD)
Environmental Data Quality Workgroup (EDQW) and the
Department of Energy (DOE) Consolidated Audit Program
(DOECAP) Operations Team developed the Quality Systems
Manual (QSM) for Environmental Laboratories. The QSM
provides baseline requirements for the establishment and
management of quality systems for laboratories performing
analytical testing services for the DoD and the DOE.
Each molecule of PFOS, which is one of the most common PFAS substances,
consists of 8 carbon atoms, 17 fluorine atoms, 3 oxygen atoms, a sulphur atom,
and a hydrogen atom. Drawing: Claes Bernes. Mistra EviEM
QSM 5.1 is the latest version being released January 2017 and
incorporates ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E) General requirements for
the competence of testing and calibration laboratories with the
addition of specific requirements for laboratories conducting
work or contracted to DoD/DOE.
Of particular note are the additional requirements for PFAS
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Using Liquid
Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)
With Isotope Dilution or Internal Standard Quantification in
Matrices other Than Drinking Water which include the
following:
Standards containing both branched and linear isomers must
be used when commercially available viz PFOS and PFHxS. If
not available, the total response of the analyte must be
integrated (i.e., accounting for peaks that are identified as
linear and branched isomers) and quantitated using a
calibration curve which includes the linear isomer only for that
analyte (e.g., PFOA).
The isotopically labelled analogue of an analyte (Extracted
Internal Standard Analyte) must be used for quantitation if
commercially available (Isotope Dilution Quantitation). If a
labelled analogue is not commercially available, the Extracted
Internal Standard Analyte with the closest retention time to the
analyte must be used for quantitation. (Internal Standard
Quantitation). QSM 5.1 has extended the number of native
PFAS compounds to be monitored to a total of 24 (see Table 1)
and Eurofins |mgt has now extended this list to a total of
28 PFASs.
On the sample preparation front the QSM 5.1 requires all
aqueous samples to be extracted with “Solid Phase Extraction
(SPE) must be used unless samples are known to contain high
PFAS concentrations (e.g., AFFF formulations). Inline SPE is
acceptable.” For soil and sediment preparation the “entire
sample received by the laboratory must be homogenised prior
to subsampling” with all interferences removed using “ENVICarb™ or equivalent” clean-up procedures. The aim behind
the clean-up is to reduce bias from matrix background that a
number of laboratories had reported in historical instances.
Western Australia’s Department of Environment Regulation
(WA DER) released version 2.0 of its Interim Guideline on the
Assessment and Management of Perfluoroalkyl and
Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) also published in January
2017 and has now made it a requirement that the proposed
analytical laboratories (primary and secondary) will:

use a mixed linear/branched standard for calibration
purposes;

report analytical results representing the
concentration of summed linear and branched
isomers;

use an isotopically labelled internal standard for each
compound analysed (see Table 1 for further details);
and

report results corrected for internal standard
recoveries together with a statement of the recovery.
Eurofins | mgt has successfully completed two recent
proficiency studies conducted by the National Measurement
Institute on PFOS/PFOA and is working very closely with its
international colleagues to develop state-of-the-art PFAS
testing capabilities in full compliance with the latest standards
such as QSM 5.1 or WA DER Guidelines.
Eurofins | mgt Expertise
If you would like to discuss logistical details of your PFAS
analyses then please contact your local Analytical Service
Manager or one of our Business Development Team listed
below.
Technical support can be provided by contacting Dr. Bob
Symons or Dr. Jack Thompson.
Global Leader - Results You Can Trust
EnviroNote No. 1071 - February 2017
Contacts for further Information
Rhonda Chouman
Scott Carroll
Matt Deaves
Technical Support
Dr Bob Symons
+61 3 8564 5000
+61 2 9900 8410
+61 8 9251 9600
+61 2 9900 8400
Michael Horne
Peter Gratwick
+61 499 810 009
+61 448 176 035
Laboratories
Offices
Melbourne
Sydney
Brisbane
Perth
Newcastle
Adelaide
Darwin
E: [email protected]
W: http://www.eurofins.com.au/environmental-testing
Table 1: Native and Isotopically Labelled PFASs
Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFASs)
Native PFASs
Labelled Surrogate Standards
Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs)
Isotope Dilution Quantification Standard
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4-13C4]butanoic acid
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4,5-13C5]pentanoic acid
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4,5-13C5]hexanoic acid
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4-13C4]heptanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-13C8]octanoic acid
Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4,5-13C5]nonanoic acid
Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4,5,6-13C6]decanoic acid
Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2-13C2]undecanoic acid
Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2-13C2]dodecanoic acid
Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2-13C2]tetradecanoic acid
Perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs) & Perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs)
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
Sodium perfluoro-1-[2,3,4-13C3]butane sulfonate
Perfluoropentane sulfonic acid (PFPeS)
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS)
Sodium perfluoro-1-[18O2]hexanesulfonate
Potassium perfluorohexanesulfonate (linear and branched
Sodium perfluoro-1-[18O2]hexanesulfonate
isomers) (br-PFHxS)
Perfluoroheptane sulfonate (PFHpS)
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-13C8]octane sulfonate
Potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate (linear and branched
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-13C8]octane sulfonate
isomers) (br-PFOS)
Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS)
Perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (PFASAs)
Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA)
Perfluoro-n-[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-13C8]octane sulfonamide
N-methylperfluoro-1-octane sulfonamide (N-MeFOSA)
N-methyl-d3-perfluoro-1-octane sulfonamide
N-ethylperfluoro-1-octanesulfonamide (N-EtFOSA)
N-ethyl-d5-perfluoro-1-octanesulfonamide
2-(N-methylperfluoro-1-octane sulfonamido)-ethanol (N2-(N-methyl-d3-perfluoro-1-octane sulfonamido)-ethanol-d4
MeFOSE)
2-(N-ethylperfluoro-1-octane sulfonamido)-ethanol (N-EtFOSE)
2-(N-ethyl-d5-perfluoro-1-octane sulfonamido)-ethanol-d4
N-ethyl-perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NN-ethyl-d5-perfluoro-n-octanesulfonamidoacetic acid
EtFOSAA)
N-methyl-perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NN-methyl-d3-perfluoro-1-octanesulfonamidoacetic acid
MeFOSAA)
Fluorotelomer substances
n:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonic acids
1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid (4:2 FTS)
Sodium 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoro-1-[1,2-13C2]hexane sulfonate
(4:2)
1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (6:2 FTS)
Sodium 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoro-1-[1,2-13C2]octane sulfonate
(6:2 FTS)
1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecanesulfonic Acid (8:2 FTS)
Sodium 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoro-1-[1,2-13C2]decane sulfonate
(8:2 FTS)
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorododecane sulfonate (10:2 FTS)
WA DER - Minimum recommended analytical suite for PFAS
QSM 5.1 extended list of 24 PFASs plus WA DER
Global Leader - Results You Can Trust
EnviroNote No. 1071 - February 2017
Contacts for further Information
Rhonda Chouman
Scott Carroll
Matt Deaves
Technical Support
Dr Bob Symons
+61 3 8564 5000
+61 2 9900 8410
+61 8 9251 9600
+61 2 9900 8400
Michael Horne
Peter Gratwick
+61 499 810 009
+61 448 176 035
Laboratories
Offices
Melbourne
Sydney
Brisbane
Perth
Newcastle
Adelaide
Darwin
E: [email protected]
W: http://www.eurofins.com.au/environmental-testing