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June 2020 | Volume 10 | Issue 4
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The Next Phase in California's Investigation of PFAS
A Year and a Pandemic Later, What is the Status of the California Phased Investigation of PFAS?
BY ALLISON MACKENZIE, CEO
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are turning up across the Golden State. The State Water Board released preliminary data in March 2020 which suggests around half of the 600 public water supply wells near landfills, military installations, and airports have detections of PFOA, PFOS, or other PFAS. Unsurprisingly, there have been an even higher number of detections of PFAS from monitoring well, leachate, and soil sampling at airports and landfills themselves. Given the historical uses of PFAS in Anti-Film Forming Foam (AFFF) to smother aviation fires and their use in consumer products fated to enter landfills, PFAS detection was to be expected
and the reason for prioritizing those sources for investigation first. Now that California is at, or nearing , the end of Phase I and II of the data collection under the Board's PFAS Phased Investigation Plan, there are strong indications that Phase III is imminent.
The following is a brief recap of the original plan and what we can likely expect in the coming months. When the Division of Drinking Water (DDW) and the Division of Water Quality (DWQ) announced the Board’s phased approach in March 2019, the plans included an aggressive timeline. Not much has changed with regard to the Phase I and II plans to collect detection data and, as reported above, some preliminary results have already been complied. The quarterly monitoring of at-risk water supply wells came to an end in March 2020, and completion of the landfill PFAS testing during routine monitoring should result in all of that data being available
soon. Site-specific questionnaires and work plans for the Chrome Plating industry were all due by March 31, 2020, following an extension from the October 2019 deadline.
Which brings us to the major change to the Board’s PFAS investigation: the timeline. Originally, Phase III—set to include wastewater treatment and pretreatment facilities ... read more. |
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Wet Wipes Have More Than One Dirty Secret
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From babies to kitchen counters, we’re all familiar with the dirty deeds carried out by sanitary wet wipes. When it comes to wreaking havoc on our sewer infrastructure, however, wet wipes have more than one dirty secret.
Most of those involved in sanitation agencies and publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) already know the first secret: the vast majority of “flushable” wipes are not flushable at all. The second little appreciated attribute of wipes, however, is that they contribute to microplastics pollution. It is this second fact that makes wet wipes so problematic for our sewer systems and, ultimately, our environment.
A recent CWEA/CASA webinar shared the latest facts on wipes and the preliminary findings of a CASA-sponsored study conducted by ten member agencies to understand and document the fate of various disposable wipes—flushable and not flushable ... read more. |
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PHASE III PFAS Investigation Accreditation Status
PFAS Determination in Non-Potable Liquids & Biosolids for Phase III
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In anticipation of Phase II and III of the Board PFAS investigation, Babcock Laboratories, Inc. added Department of Defense (DOD) accreditation for PFAS in 2019. This accreditation requires the laboratory to conduct PFAS analyses and data generation in accordance with rigorous DoD Quality Systems Manual (DoD QSM)- version 5.1 or newer Table B-15 criteria. Babcock Labs also carries California ELAP accreditation for PFAS in drinking water via EPA 537.1 and for non-potable liquids via the DoD QSM protocols, and is accredited for PFAS through ORELAP for non-potable liquids and solids. EPA Method 537.1 for drinking water includes 18 target analytes, and the non-potable liquid and solid accreditations include those target analytes required under CA Phase II and III. For
more information about how we can help your agency or project comply with PFAS testing requirement, please contact our PFAS team.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Life in Plastic: Determining Microplastics in Drinking Water ( read more)
Safe Recycled water in a Petri Dish? ( read more)
The Path Out of Coronavirus Lockdown? Follow the Wastewater ( read more)
Lab Accreditation: ELAP Publishes Proposed Regulations ( read more)
EPA Announces New Method to Test for Additional PFAS in Drinking Water ( read more)
Babcock Labs is a 2019 Top Workplace ( read more)
EPA Awards Babcock Labs UCMR 4 Small Systems Contract ( read more) |
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Babcock Labs is CA ELAP accredited to perform all 18 analytes for EPA Method 537.1 and all 38 analytes under the DoD QSM 5.3. Also offered at Babcock Labs is EPA Method 533 for short-chain PFAs analytes. ( learn more) |
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Scott Dallas
Business Development Associate
951-653-3351 x 162
Cathy Iijima
Client Relations Manager
951-653-3351 x 135
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Please note that Babcock Labs strictly adheres to sample acceptance criteria, pursuant to Standard Methods and regulatory requirements.
UCMR 4 is underway.
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