Human Health

Through environmental, drinking water, food, and other sources, humans can be exposed to a variety of PFAS. And, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), PFAS are a public health concern and exposures are being investigated. To determine the body burden of PFAS in humans, it is important that these measurements be as accurate and precise as possible.

Through collaboration with human health agencies, like the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevision, NIST has developed three reference materials that include PFAS in human fluids. To see a full list of available NIST SRMs, including human health materials, see the NIST SRM Website. The development of these SRMs to support measurements for PFAS in human fluids has expanded quality assurance capabilities critical to human health. These SRMs are used by Federal, State, and monitoring laboratories to validate methods and as control materials for chemical analysis.