Minimizing PFAS background contamination in sample preparation

PFAS are ubiquitous and detectable at increasingly low concentrations, making sample preparation a critical source of potential contamination. Labware, filtration consumables, and water used for dilutions and blanks can introduce background PFAS, compromising data integrity.

Join our experts in this SelectScience® webinar as they explore practical strategies to reduce PFAS contamination in sample preparation for both LC-MS and Total Organic Fluorine (TOF) analysis using combustion ion chromatography (CIC). You will learn how to identify contamination pathways, implement best practices, and select consumables validated for low PFAS background.

Sartorius solutions — including Arium® ultrapure lab water systems, Minisart® syringe filters, and Optifit® pipette tips — will be highlighted along with independent testing from Claros Technologies and Novem Scientific demonstrating their performance in LC-MS and TOF workflows.

Certificate of attendance

If you attend the live webinar, you will automatically receive a certificate of attendance, including a learning outcomes summary, for continuing education purposes.

If you view the on-demand webinar, you can request a certificate of attendance by emailing [email protected].

Webinar details

• Cost: Free to attend
• Location: Online
• Duration: 60 minutes

Registration is required to secure your place. If you register but can’t attend live, you will receive a link to the on‑demand recording once it becomes available.

Who should attend?

This event is perfect for:

Speaker: Andrew Christianson (President and CEO, Novem Scientific)

Andrew Christianson is the President and CEO of Novem Scientific, LLC. He graduated in 2004 from the University of Minnesota, Morris with a BA in Chemistry, emphasis in Biochemistry. He has been serving the scientific industry and solving analytical problems for over 15 years in service and sales of analytical equipment and applications. In addition to being involved in the local Minnesota Chromatography Forum, he is also a voting member on the ASTM D19 water committee.

Novem Scientific was founded in August 2021 and specializes in Total Organic Fluorine (TOF) analysis. TOF gives a non-targeted view of the total PFAS contribution in a sample as a compound class, without distinguishing individual analytes. The TOF test has been reimagined with modern instrumentation and Novem is on the cutting edge of research and development in new methods and matrices for this new and demanding analysis space.

Speaker: Sandra Söderholm, Ph.D. (Application Development Scientist, Sartorius)

Sandra Söderholm earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Helsinki in 2016. Before joining Sartorius as an Application Development Scientist in 2019, she worked as a post doc in the field of infection biology at the University of Basel in Switzerland. At Sartorius, she focuses on the development, optimization, and validation of liquid-handling applications, and works with new product innovation, where understanding the customers’ workflows and needs plays a central role.

Speaker: Dr. Zijie 'Beryl' Xia (Director of Analytical Laboratories, Claros Technologies)

Dr. Zijie 'Beryl' Xia is Director of Analytical Laboratories at Claros Technologies Inc., a PFAS destruction company. Since joining Claros in 2020, she has established its ISO-accredited PFAS analytical laboratory. Together with her team, she has developed standard PFAS methods and continues to advance non-standard methods and matrices for novel PFAS analysis.

Speaker: Klaus Schöne (Scientist, Sartorius)

Klaus Schöne is a scientist who has been working at Sartorius, a supplier to the life science industry, since 2005. His work focuses on customer applications and translating application needs into new product solutions, including separation products for laboratory use such as PFAS sample preparation. Further areas of his expertise include the clarification and purification of biomolecules using ultrafiltration and chromatography.

Speaker: Dr. Kunal Kureja (Product Manager, Sartorius)

Dr. Kunal Kureja is a Product Manager at Sartorius AG, specializing in laboratory water technologies and analytical applications. He earned his Ph.D. in Analytical and Preparative Chemistry from the University of Kassel and has worked across academic, startup, and industrial settings. His expertise includes application development, technical communication, and cross‑functional project leadership, with a particular focus on PFAS‑related analytical challenges and contamination risks in laboratory workflows.

Moderator: Todd Beanlands (Science Editor, SelectScience)