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.
The Next Phase in California’s Investigation of PFAS
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.
Clean Water is Essential
The current crisis caused by the novel coronavirus and resulting COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us all how much we rely on essential service workers. Perhaps one of the most invisible but undeniably essential group of workers includes the individuals making sure our faucets are flowing with clean water and our waste is getting properly treated when we brush or flush.
Life in Plastic: Determining Microplastics in Drinking Water
One microcosm of this public health concern has been the presence of microplastics in the environment, and the potential for these tiny particles to make their way into our food and water. Microplastics fall into two main categories—those that are manufactured as additives or for use in manufacturing and those that come from the degradation or breakdown of larger plastic particles.
Babcock Face Mask & Social Distancing Policy
On Friday the Riverside Board of Supervisors voted to rescind all of the county-wide stay-at-home orders that went into effect in early April and were in addition to Governor Newsom’s restrictions. This decision, which includes relaxing the County Health Officer’s required use of face coverings, will in no way change the requirements for proper PPE, facemasks, and social distancing at Babcock Labs.
Safe Recycled Water in a Petri Dish?
What makes bioanalytical screenings of interest are their sophisticated yet targeted approach to screening recycled water. Rather than requiring laboratory professionals to test for each individual contaminant to determine presence and approximate risk, bioassays screen for total bioactivity for a given pathway or mode of action, allowing analysts to characterize potential cumulative effects on the organisms without necessarily needing to know all the components of the samples. They are a meaningful counterpart to common testing methods, as they account for the fact that contaminants often work together additively, synergistically, or antagonistically to produce an effect that is harmful to humans and the environment.