ASTM F 3700 : 2025

1.1This guide provides recommendations to select, apply, and interpret available preparatory and analytical methods and techniques to identify and quantify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in different types of products, including consumer products and related products.

1.2This guide provides a flexible, defensible framework applicable to a wide range of product disclosures and restrictions. This framework can be considered when creating regulations and standards to address PFAS in consumer and related products. However, this guide does not set criteria for acceptable concentration limits. This guide recognizes that multiple regulatory agencies can be involved in overseeing and establishing acceptable concentration limits in specific products or product categories.

1.3This guide is structured to support decisions for choosing sampling, preparatory, and analytical methods, procedures, and techniques to evaluate PFAS in consumer and related products.

1.4This guide also establishes how analytical information may be used to assess exposures. This guide elaborates on the potential application of preconditioning, extracting, leaching, and off-gassing techniques to determine the potential release of PFAS from products over the product life cycle. This guide is limited in scope to potential PFAS exposure to liquid phases and to air. Users should refer to Guide D8560 for further details to determine PFAS in air (airborne PFAS).

1.5 This guide provides information on the known advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of the different referenced preparatory and analytical approaches. New methods and techniques are being developed and optimized rapidly to characterize PFAS in different types of products and their constituent parts.

1.6The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.7This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.8This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.