Advancing Approaches to PFAS Sample Prep in Emerging Food and Environmental Samples

As PFAS regulations evolve and testing expands into more challenging matrices, effective sample preparation is a fundamental step in ensuring reliable and reproducible analysis. In this webinar, we examine solid-phase extraction (SPE) for PFAS analysis, exploring new applications and automation strategies designed to meet the demands of increasingly complex samples.

This session will highlight three new and relevant applications of PFAS sample preparation from environmental and food-based matrices, including:

• Sample preparation and PFAS determination from fish tissue in accordance with EPA Method 1633
• Automated SPE workflows for the determination of PFAS in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) supported by the Andrew+ robot
• Analysis of PFAS in products of animal origin, with a focus on egg matrices

Whether working towards regulatory compliance or improving lab efficiency, we will discuss ways to increase reproducibility, reduce matrix effects, and streamline PFAS workflows. This includes how newer SPE formats like Oasis WAX/GCB and GCB/WAX for PFAS Analysis can help simplify cleanup and improve results across a range of PFAS applications, from food to environmental samples. 

Presenter: Chelsea Plummer (Senior Product Marketing Manager, Waters Corporation)

Chelsea Plummer is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Waters with a background in bioanalytical mass spectrometry. She holds a BS from Purdue University and a PhD from The University of Alabama, where her research focused on the analysis of small molecules and peptides using both quantitative and high-resolution mass spectrometry. She has been at Waters for 9 years, and currently leads product initiatives related to sample preparation, with a specific focus on solid-phase extraction (SPE) for PFAS analysis and other complex matrices. She is passionate about delivering innovative solutions and that help customers achieve high-quality, reproducible results across a wide variety of application areas including pharmaceuticals, food, and environmental analysis.

Presenter: Kari Organtini, PhD (Principal Scientist, Waters Corporation)

Kari Organtini is a principal scientist at Waters Corporation and has been with the company for eight years. She received her PhD from Penn State University in 2015 studying the occurrence of dioxins and furans in fire debris and their implications to first responder health. At Waters, Kari is part of the PFAS Program in the Testing and Lab Services Group. Kari has developed applications using both LC and GC techniques for a variety of applications ranging from pesticides to persistent organic pollutants during her career. She is currently the scientific lead for developing PFAS applications at Waters.

Presenter: Margot Lee (Senior Scientist, Waters Corporation)

Margot Lee is a Senior Scientist at Waters Corporation, where she develops applications for PFAS analysis. With a background in biology and a career in analytical chemistry, she joined the PFAS team in summer 2024 after contributing to the validation of Waters’ dual-phase SPE cartridges. Her current work focuses on solid-phase extraction of complex food matrices. In this webinar, she will present PFAS data from eggs, demonstrating a streamlined method using real-world samples from backyard chickens.

Presenter: Daniel Ng PhD (Principal Scientist, Waters Corporation)

Daniel Ng received his PhD from the University of Manchester in mass spectrometry proteomics. He worked for 5 years at the Waters mass spectrometry headquarters in Wilmslow, UK, as a service support development engineer specializing in mass spectrometry instrumentation. In 2019, he took up a new role as a principal scientist at the International Food and Water Research Centre (Waters) in Singapore focusing on using advanced instrumentation to answer analytical challenges in the food and water industry. Since 2023, Daniel has led the Food, Environmental and Material Science Analytical Professional Service team in the Asia-Pacific Region, developing analytical solutions to meet key challenges that customers face.