The metrology aspects of PFAS
The persistence of PFAS chemicals and their implications to the environment and our health are hot topics. But, there is so much more to understand about these chemicals. What are PFAS exactly? How can we tell whether the measurements in each study are accurate and comparable to those in other studies? Great science is being done by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and Dr. Jessica Reiner, Research Chemist at NIST, to help us arrive at more reliable data. She and her team develop and maintain reference materials (RM) and standard reference materials (SRM) for use in calibration and interlaboratory comparison studies. Together, let's get into the nitty gritty of this topic.
Bringing Chemistry to Life · Jessica Reiner, Paolo Braiuca, Matt Ferris
Show Notes
Early in her career, Dr. Jessica Reiner realized that she cared more about ensuring the accuracy of the measurements she was making than making the measurements themselves. This realization, combined with experience in working with PFAS, led to her current role as Research Chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Join us to hear an insider’s perspective on the PFAS topic, with a deep dive into the analytical methods used to detect, quantify, and identify PFAS species. Jessica and her team use LC-MS, anion exchange chromatography, and other orthogonal methods in their work and they focus on creating, validating, and maintaining reference materials (RM) and standard reference materials (SRM) that are used to help ensure that PFAS measurements are accurate and comparable with those made in other laboratories around the world. From challenges around defining a PFAS, to creating a stable, ultra-low concentration standard, to detecting ultra-high concentrations PFAS, Jessica provides an ace analytical chemist’s perspective grounded in the metrology of it all.
As always, and in addition to the great science, you’ll get to learn about Jessica’s personal career path, the ups and downs of her work, and hear her advice for career development.
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- Season 4, Ep.2: The father of green chemistry
- Season 2, Ep.7: Fresh urban water
- Season 1, Ep.3: There’s chemistry in the air!
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