Environmental Industry Updates
The Latest News on Scientific and Regulatory Updates from Merit Laboratories
The U.S. House passed the PFAS Action Act of 2021. The legislation would require the U.S. EPA to administer a national primary drinking water standard for PFAS chemicals within two years. Some of the specific bill highlights include restricting industrial discharges of PFAS; allocating $200 million annually for wastewater treatment; and limiting the incineration of PFAS wastes.
Oil and gas companies used PFAS in hydraulic fracturing operations in over 1,200 wells in six states, according to a report published by the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). The report, Fracking with Forever Chemicals, links oil and gas operations in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming, with using PFAS as part of fracking operations, between 2012 and 2020.
In a new PFAS research study, scientists at the University of Notre Dame have detected PFAS in many of the most commonly used cosmetics, including the highest levels in mascara, lipstick, and foundation. The study, Flourinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics, published by the American Chemical Study in June, found that more than half (52%) of all cosmetics tested contained had high fluorine concentrations.
Years of underinvestment in Michigan’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, dams, schools, transit, water and sewer systems, railways and energy systems, have left the state in a precarious position, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2018 Report Card for Michigan's Infrastructure and the 21st Century Infrastructure Commission.
The number of PFAS contaminated sites in the United States continues to expand at a rapid pace. According to the PFAS Contamination Site Tracker, managed by Northeastern University’s Social Science Environmental Health Institute (SSEHRI), there are now 1,244 sites with PFAS contamination and 1,114 water systems contaminated with PFAS.
Merit Laboratories has expanded the list of analytical methods, compounds, and sample matrices for which it is accredited through the DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (DoD ELAP). Through this expansion, the DoD officially revised Merit Laboratories' DoD ELAP testing certification to also now include EPA Method TO-15 for the analysis of air samples. Merit is also analyzed for a comprehensive list of analytical methods for aqueous and solid sample matrices.
Merit Laboratories will be attending the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Federal Small Business Conference in Dallas, Texas. SAME’s SBC is scheduled for November 20-22, 2019. The SBC for the A/E/C industry brings together federal agencies and businesses servicing the federal marketplace. More than 3,500 attendees are expected to participate in the event, including 350 exhibitors.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally validated EPA SW-846 Method 8327 for the analysis of PFAS using LC/MS/MS instrumentation for non-potable water. Sample matrices for EPA 8327 include surface water, groundwater water, and wastewater. The method evaluated 24 PFAS compounds.
The congressional bill recently introduced that would require the U.S. Geologic Survey to monitor for PFAS received a hearing on June 13th. The PFAS Detection Act, introduced in March, authorizes the U.S. Geologic Survey and the U.S. EPA to coordinate and develop PFAS testing standards. The bill requires that the USGS monitor for PFAS nationwide in water through a five-year, $45-million program.
