Available Clinical Guidance
- Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, CDC/ ATSDR 2024.
- University of Washington Environmental & Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health Pediatric Specialty Unit (PDF) Q&A Information for Clinicians, 2024.
- National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine, July 2022. Summary | Full report
- Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments - PFAS toolkit.
Additional Clinician Resources
- Online PFAS blood level estimator (for patients with contaminated drinking water), ATSDR 2024
- Additional Resources for Health Professionals, ATSDR.
- How to talk to your patients about PFAS and their health, 2026. 1 hour video featuring Rachel Criswell, MD, a family practice physician serving a PFAS contaminated community in Maine. (CME available through Michigan State University).
- Clinician Resources- PFAS Exchange.
PFAS Factsheets for Patients
- DOH factsheets DOH videos & printable fact sheets in multiple languages on basic health effects associated with PFAS, how to test your water for PFAS, how to select an effective water filter, what to do about home-raised foods, etc.
- Talking to Your Healthcare Provider About Exposure to PFAS, ATSDR.
- Resources for Impacted Communities, PFAS Exchange.
Laboratory Testing for PFAS in Serum, WA State
PFAS blood testing can inform clinical management as well as the assessment of community exposures. Clinicians and patients should understand the risks and benefits before pursuing testing. Clinical guidance on laboratory testing for PFAS has been published by the National Academies of Science and Engineering and ATSDR.
The Washington Department of Health surveyed major companies that serve our state health insurance market and learned that most will cover the PFAS serum test when the test is ordered by a clinician and processed by a clinical lab. See Survey results (PDF).
We also learned that diagnosis and billing codes accepted for PFAS serum testing are:
- ICD-10 Z77.11 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to environmental pollution.
- ICD-10 Z77.111 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to water pollution.
- ICD-10 Z77.29 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other hazardous substances.
- Billing code CPT 82542
There are two commercial labs with clinical lab certifications that provide PFAS serum testing. Clinics must have or set up an account with NMS and arrange for the testing. The other lab, Quest Diagnostics, offers a test that the patient purchases online. The patient then goes to a local Quest location for the blood draw and receives the test results directly from Quest. Quest offers patients a medical consultation on their results. Both options may require out-of-pocket payment by the patient.
| Lab Name | Lab Type | Test Order Number | Number of PFAS Chemicals Measured | Test Cost -Contact lab for current price | Contact Information | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NMS | Clinical lab | 3428SP | 16 | $470 | Clinical & Research Client Services at 1-866-522-2206 clinical@nmslabs.com |
Clinician ordered test. Clinics must set up acct with NMS. | ||
| Quest Diagnostics | Clinical lab | 13724M PFAS Test Panel | 9 | $350 | You can learn more about the test and sign up online for the test. Quest service centers are located throughout the state. |
Patients order the test online and arrange for a blood draw at a Quest service center. | ||
Some environmental labs can also test individual clinical samples. Patients will need to pay for these tests out-of-pocket.
- EmpowerDX Lab (16 analytes) - $280