To all of our friends and partners in California impacted by the devastating wildfires, Merit Laboratories is here to support you. When wildfires ravage communities, natural landscape, and places we call home, the impact is major. Lives are interrupted while homes, schools, and businesses are destroyed. Another significant impact of wildfires is environmental contamination.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to address the growing concerns over PFAS by adding nine new compounds to the Toxics Release Inventory. This move aims to improve transparency and provide better data on the presence and release of these persistent chemicals in the environment.
The analysis of PFAS by EPA 1633A and ASTM D8421 is part of the U.S. EPA’s Methods Update Rule (MUR) Rule 22. The action will promulgate EPA into 40 CFR Part 136. Also part of this action, PFAS method ASTM D8421 is proposed to be codified.
Groundwater contaminated with PFAS in Marinette, Wisconsin is slated for environmental remediation. Marinette, a small town located in northeastern Wisconsin, is home to the headquarters of the Tyco Fire Products unit of Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI). According to the Wisconsin DNR, the Marinette PFAS remediation will be the most expensive PFAS cleanup in the state. Some estimates place the cleanup effort at more than $140-million.
Moving Michigan forward on PFAS drinking water regulations, the Science Advisory Workgroup recently provided its health-based values to the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART). These PFAS health-based values will be used by the State of Michigan to develop regulatory drinking water standards.
Because soil can potentially contain harmful bacteria, plant viruses, fungi, nematodes, and other propagules, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the importation of soil for both domestic regulated and foreign soil. These regulations are put in place to protect agriculture and natural resources from the introduction of destructive plant and animal diseases.
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.
Soil gas sampling is easier with Merit Laboratories’ helium shroud. Working closely with our client’s field sample collection needs in mind, Merit developed a helium shroud that makes soil gas sampling more efficient, accurate, and reproducible. And don't worry about tools or calibration in the field. Merit’s helium shroud requires no tools or field calibration. The helium shroud's quick-connect ports are proven time savers in the field. We make it easier.
Residents can now track the locations of PFAS sites in Michigan, which continues to grow. According to the most recent update to the PFAS Map Tracker from the Michigan EGLE (formerly MDEQ), the number of confirmed PFAS contaminated sites has grown to 52. The PFAS site map shows sites spread across Michigan.
