ETHOS X

Advanced Microwave Extraction for PFAS in Solid Matrices

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants commonly found in soil, water, and food, requiring accurate and reliable monitoring methods. The dedicated ETHOS X configuration is specifically designed for the sample preparation of soils, sediments, and biosolids for PFAS analysis, allowing laboratories to process up to 44 samples per batch with full compliance to EPA Method 1633A.

Why ETHOS X is the Future of PFAS Extraction from Solids

Environmental laboratories today face mounting pressure: increased sample loads, tighter turnaround times, labor constraints, limited bench space, and strong demand for reliable, regulation-compliant analytics.
With the ETHOS X system equipped with the XTR-44 rotor, Milestone offers a turnkey solution that overcomes the limitations of traditional shaker-table or manual extraction, delivering faster, cleaner, and more reproducible PFAS results from soils, sediments, biosolids and other solid matrices.
The PFAS-specific XTR-44 rotor is engineered to support high-throughput, EPA 1633A compliant microwave-assisted extraction. It uses PFAS-free disposable vessels, dynamic temperature control paired with active stirring, and a streamlined single-tube workflow, dramatically reducing the risk of contamination while cutting extraction time by up to 75%.

High productivity. 24 samples in 40 minutes.
Low running cost. Substantial reduction in solvent.
Ease of use. Disposable glass vials.
Larger sample amount. Up to 30 grams.
Compliance. Fully compliant with US EPA 3546 Method.
Reliability. Consistent and reproducible results.

PFAS-FREE DISPOSABLE VESSELS

EPA 1633 COMPLIANT

NO CLEANING REQUIRED

HIGH THROUGHPUT

FASTER SAMPLE PREPARATION

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Who Can Benefit

This solution is tailored for laboratories that:

Perform PFAS analysis on solid matrices (soils, sediments, biosolids, sludges, etc.)
Handle high sample volumes or frequently receive rush/priority jobs
Need to reduce turnaround times while maintaining or improving data quality
Wish to minimize solvent consumption, waste production, and avoid cross-contamination
Seek a standardized, scalable and robust workflow

How ETHOS X + XTR-44 Works: Workflow Overview

This workflow delivers robust, reproducible PFAS data while markedly reducing manual handling, solvent use, analysis time, and labour.
Thanks to closed vessels, precise temperature control and disposable PFAS-free labware, the system significantly reduces risks of cross-contamination or analyte loss. This makes ETHOS X an ideal choice for environmental labs that must meet stringent regulatory and quality-assurance standards.
Advanced sensors in the ETHOS X system along with active stirring using non-teflon stir bars deliver precise temperature control and uniformity throughout the extraction process. The easyTEMP sensors and easyCONTROL software ensure uniform conditions across all positions, guaranteeing consistent and reproducible results. The intuitive software of the ETHOS X provides effortless user experience for routine PFAS sample preparation.

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Sample loading

Weigh the solid sample (soil, sediment, biosolid, etc.) into disposable PFAS-free polypropylene or glass vials suitable for the XTR-44 rotor. Add solvent (per your lab protocol, e.g. ammoniacal methanol or other EPA-approved extraction solvent).

Microwave-assisted extraction

Load up to 44 vials into the XTR-44 rotor on ETHOS X. Microwave heating, thanks to the active magnetic stirring and contactless temperature control, rapidly brings the solvent to optimal extraction temperature and maintains uniformity across all vials.

Post-extraction cleanup

After extraction, cool the vessels, then centrifuge or filter the extracts (e.g. using a filtration system such as Milestone’s SFS-24), concentrate under nitrogen evaporation, add PFAS-free water, and perform cleanup (e.g. SPE) in preparation for LC/MS-MS analysis.

Key Benefits

High throughput
Process up to 44 samples per batch with the XTR-44 rotor, that is ideal for labs handling heavy workloads or rush projects
Significant time savings
Microwave-assisted extraction reduces prep time to minutes rather than hours, freeing lab capacity and improving turnaround predictability
Reduced solvent usage
closed-vessel microwave extraction uses far less solvent than traditional methods, lower cost, less waste, and safer handling
Improved data quality & reproducibility
uniform heating, controlled temperature and stirring, and elimination of multiple transfers deliver consistent, reliable results, minimizing reruns.

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Ready to Upgrade Your PFAS Sample Preparation?

Contact us to schedule a tailored demonstration with our environmental applications team! We’ll help you evaluate how ETHOS X with XTR-44 fits your lab’s workload, matrices and regulatory needs.

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