Episode 72: PFAS in Water, Food & Packaging: Michelle Taylor on the "Forever Chemicals" Documentary Series

In this episode of  @ChromatographyTalk  ,  @Organomation  General Manager David Oliva sits down with Michelle Taylor, Editor-in-Chief of LabCompare, to go behind the scenes of their groundbreaking two-part documentary series on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The conversation kicks off with a startling revelation: many of the world’s leading PFAS experts have completely stopped eating seafood due to high contamination levels discovered during testing. From there, we dive deep into the technical and regulatory challenges facing today's analytical laboratories.In this episode, we discuss:* The Laboratory Throughput Crisis: Why labs are currently "overwhelmed with samples" and how tiered testing—using single quad instruments for screening before moving to triple quads—is helping to manage capacity without sacrificing sensitivity.* The Battle Against Background Contamination: Why PTFE-free (PFAS-free) laboratory equipment is no longer optional when trying to detect "forever chemicals" at the parts-per-trillion and parts-per-quadrillion levels.* Complex Matrices (Seafood & Packaging): The technical hurdles of analyzing high-lipid samples like fish and the rising demand for migration testing as states like Rhode Island begin to phase out PFAS in food packaging.* Global Regulatory Shifts: A look at the "dual compliance model" required for labs supporting international exporters, especially with the European Union’s stricter enforcement compared to the U.S. monitoring approach.* The "Grand Challenge" of Unknowns: How EPA Method 1621 (Total Organic Fluorine) is helping labs close the mass balance gap and why the next generation of bench chemists must embrace **AI and data science** to manage the massive datasets generated by high-resolution mass spectrometry.* PFAS Destruction vs. Remediation: The promising (and problematic) methods for breaking the carbon-fluorine bond, and why incineration may inadvertently be spreading shorter-chain PFAS into the air.Whether you are a lab manager looking to future-proof your workflow or a chemist navigating the ever-evolving landscape of EPA Method 1633, this episode provides essential insights into the most pressing environmental crisis of our time.Watch the LabCompare Documentary Series:* Part 1: Preparing and Modernizing for Proposed National PFAS Regulations* Part 2: Forever Chemicals Contamination in Food and PackagingResources for PFAS Analysis:* Learn more about PTFE-free sample preparation at Organomation.com: https://www.organomation.com/ptfe-free-nitrogen-evaporators-for-pfas-analysis* Explore more analytical lab resources at LabCompare.com (https://www.labcompare.com)#PFAS #ForeverChemicals #Chromatography #EnvironmentalScience #LabCompare #Organomation #SamplePrep #EPA1633 #AnalyticalChemistry