| June 2021 | Volume 11 | Issue 6 |
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| Portantino Leads Effort to Manage CECs in CA
BY ALLISON MACKENZIE, Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs |
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Over the last decade, advancements in analytical testing technologies have revealed new categories of previously undetectable substances now dubbed as CECs—Constituents of Emerging Concern. This ever broadening group of chemicals and microorganisms pose unprecedented technical, legal, and financial challenges; but arguably, the biggest hurdle is the lack of available information about the persistence, prevalence, or toxicity of many substances referred to as CECs. In an effort to fill those data gaps, Senator Portantino introduced Senate Bill Number 230 (SB 230) to California’s State legislature this year. The bill, which seems to enjoy wide support from water agencies, would mark the first state-wide effort to address CECs as a category.
While information has grown over the past few years, most research has focused on high-profile chemicals or chemical families. This is partially because CECs are such an immense and diverse category; any new or newly detected and unregulated substance found in California’s waters is considered a CEC. This broad definition encompasses thousands of substances from personal care products to industrial chemicals, and many lack robust toxicological information. Although experts can directly or indirectly test for some CECs in concentrations as low as parts per trillion,
they are often working with numbers that currently lack context. Without knowing exactly which chemicals have been detected or the toxicity thresholds for...
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| Pyrethroids—Gardeners Best Friend Versus Fishy Foe |
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Spring is underway, and across California, gardeners and farmers are combating the season’s annual pest problem: insects. But the pesticides that protect our roses and our lettuce may be harming more than just the bugs. Pesticides, in particular pyrethroids, are making their way from our gardens, farms, and houses into our watersheds, where they pose a serious threat to California’s aquatic populations. With annual pesticide use expected to peak in the coming months, now is the time to ask some questions. What are pyrethroids? How are they impacting our water systems? What is being done to mitigate the potential problems associated with their use?
Since the late 19th century, pyrethroids have been around and are similar to some naturally occurring insecticides, called pyrethrins, found in chrysanthemum flowers. But unlike pyrethrins, pyrethroids are manufactured chemicals designed to quickly incapacitate insect nervous systems and simultaneously resist environmental degradation. Their low toxicity to humans, mammals, and birds makes them ideal for a variety of agricultural, public health, and domestic
purposes. Pyrethroid compounds are effective insecticides employed on farms and in homes across the US. In particular, pyrethroids are an efficient... read more
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| State Accredited Bacteriological Testing with a Reputable Lab in El Centro! |
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| Babcock Laboratories, Inc is counting the days until the launch of our local lab in El Centro. As soon as formal notification is received, the El Centro Microbiology Lab and Service Center will expand Babcock’s offerings to include testing for bacteria in drinking water and wastewater performed in the Imperial Valley.
We are thrilled at the opportunity to add to our local service capabilities and enhance our long-standing relationships with the people of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys. Our new microbiology lab meets the strict and rigorous standards set forth by the State of California's Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP). This stringent... read more
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Congress and States Take Action Against PFAS (read more)
Are the Tides Turning for the Dying Salton Sea? (read more)
CARB and a Green, Energized Future for Riverside (read more)
Local Water Quality: Regional Boards Have a Plan For That! (read more)
March Showers Bring More Than April Flowers to Water Conservation (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, EPA Methods, and regulatory requirements.
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| Do you know someone who would be interested in a STEM career at an Employee-Owned Top Workplace in the IE?
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***Welcome! Babcock Labs is hosting this event. |
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