Waters Corporation announced that its Xevo TQ-XS atmospheric pressure gas chromatography (APGC) mass spectrometry (MS) platform is an accepted alternative for the identification and quantification of dioxins and furans in environmental samples. Dioxins are a byproduct of human industrial activity and their effects on human health are well documented1. The acceptance of Method 16130 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Office of Water comes after a review of validation data submitted by SGS AXYS Analytical Services Ltd. The USEPA’s acceptance of APGC-MS/MS comes after a two-year collaboration with SGS- AXYS. Analytical Services Ltd. Recognizing the need for a more efficient solution, Waters served as a key collaborator of SGS AXYS Analytical Services in the validation of APGC-MS/MS as an approved method for dioxin testing. The standard method, gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution magnetic sector mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS), is associated with large, aging, expensive instruments that are costly to run and maintain. Acceptance of the APGC-MS/MS method frees laboratories to deploy modern instrumentation that is less expensive, more sensitive and easier to operate.