Environmental Industry Updates
The Latest News on Scientific and Regulatory Updates from Merit Laboratories
Residents living in northern Kent County are being recruited to participate in a PFAS Exposure Assessment. The exposure assessment, conducted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Kent County Health Department (KCHD), will evaluate the relationship between drinking water contaminated with PFAS and the amount of PFAS in the body.
As an industry leader in PFAS testing, Merit Laboratories is pleased to announce that it has purchased additional PFAS analytical testing instrumentation. The instrumentation addition will increase Merit’s PFAS testing sample capacity. Merit added the Agilent 6495B Triple Quadrupole LC/MS to its instrumentation roster because of recent technical advances.
The State of Michigan is developing a readiness and response plan to coordinate quick response when PFAS contamination is identified. The plan is the result of an executive directive issued by the governor on October 2. Communities across Michigan are dealing with PFAS contamination issues that require expedited response to the health threats presented by PFAS compounds.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is deploying drones to fly over Lake Margrethe to search for cold water springs that could be carrying PFAS contamination into the lake near Camp Grayling. The MDEQ believes this is the first-ever usage of drones to search for PFAS contamination.
While testing for PFAS in water sample matrices captures most of the attention, the analysis of soil for PFAS is growing in importance. Environmental scientists are working hard to identify and investigate the presence of PFAS contamination in soil. Soil site investigation efforts are increasing in importance as regulatory agencies and communities are looking to identify the sources of PFAS contamination.
In May, we shared with you information about a national PFAS contamination site tracker being maintained by Northeastern University’s Social Science Environmental Health Institute (SSEHRI). At the time, there were 17 sites in Michigan on the SSEHRI PFAS Contamination Site Tracker list. In just four months, the number has increased to now include 28 Michigan sites with PFAS contamination.
The State of Michigan has started posting PFAS testing results from the statewide drinking water initiative for schools using well water. The state has created a database of PFAS results for public review. The school drinking water results are posted here. The second part of the statewide initiative involves PFAS testing of public water supplies and these results are posted here.
Merit Laboratories is the first environmental laboratory in Michigan to achieve certification for the analysis of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Merit is ISO/IEC 17025-certified for the analysis of PFAS by two analytical mehods. EPA 537 for drinking water testing and ASTM D7979 with Isotopic Dilution for testing wastewater, groundwater, and surface water.
As more sites are identified with PFAS contamination in Michigan, the state’s Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) is taking steps to communicate with state residents and interested parties. One such step is the creation of the PFAS Response website. This site provides information on PFAS sites in Michigan, health, wildlife, and testing and treatment. MPART published a statement on PFAS Testing and Treatment.
