Thirteen states are included in this PFAS Update on a range of topics including PFAS detection in Ames, Iowa, 31 drinking water systems in New Jersey and properties in Michigan that may land on the most toxic sites in the country list. In Maine, PFAS is suspected on Native American land, and nationally, a study is citing the possibility of PFAS being present in anti-fog sprays and cloths. Meanwhile, efforts continue by officials and citizens on a state and national level to regulate PFAS and emerging contaminants. The PFAS Update provides environmental professionals a quick and easy reference to current news of relevance to you. We hope you use it well.
In this issue, a recent SGS accomplishment is also highlighted. SGS AXYS has received accreditation for Draft EPA 1633, a PFAS analysis method that brings more consistency and quality to PFAS measurement. See the story below and you can read the method’s single laboratory validation report here.
SGS is your one stop for the capacity, expertise, facilities, and track record needed to provide fast and accurate analysis on PFAS and emerging contaminants analysis. We’re always here to help.
Click on SGS PFAS/emerging contaminants analysis capabilities, and see why SGS delivers what you need every step of way.
To find out how we can best help you with your PFAS analysis, call +1 800 329 0204 or email PFAS.Expert@sgs.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
The SGS PFAS Team
United States and Canada
SGS Receives DoD ELAP Accreditation for PFAS Draft EPA 1633
SGS AXYS recently received accreditation for EPA Method 1633 from the US Department of Defense under QSM 5.4 Table B-24. Our accreditation (search for SGS AXYS Analytical Services Ltd.) covers all 40 PFAS in EPA 1633 for water, solids and tissue matrices. The US DoD has required that all new task orders after 01-Jan-2022 for PFAS analysis be carried out by EPA 1633.
United States: The EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap Indicates Considerable New Regulations Are Imminent
On October 18, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued its highly anticipated PFAS Strategic Roadmap: EPA’s Commitments to Action 2021-2024, setting forth a three-year multi-agency strategy to address PFAS. The plan outlines actions that will fundamentally alter the administrative landscape around PFAS.
High Levels of PFAS in Anti-Fog Sprays and Fabrics
Anti-fog sprays and cloths used by many to prevent condensation on eyeglasses when wearing masks and face shields may contain high levels of PFAS. A new study led by Duke University shows that there is.
Arizona
PFAS Water Pollution Pilot Project Opens in Tucson
The Central Tucson PFAS pilot project is officially up and running. The site is designed to remove PFAS pollution from groundwater north of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. It will help protect Tucson’s central wellfield, a vital part of the area’s long-term drinking water supply.
Illinois
Illinois Environmentalists Again Push for the State to Ban Burning of Toxic PFAS
Environmental groups in Illinois are again pushing for state lawmakers to pass legislation that would ban the incineration of a toxic class of chemicals known as PFAS.
Indiana
Indiana Firefighters Could Get Annual Blood Testing for PFAS Under Proposed Pilot Program
Indiana firefighters could get annual blood testing for exposure to synthetic PFAS chemicals through a proposed pilot program, according to a new bill introduced in the Statehouse.
Iowa
DNR: Ames Drinking Water has ‘Forever Chemicals’
Statewide drinking water testing has revealed two more cities with detectable amounts of toxic chemicals that persist indefinitely in the environment, including Ames, the state’s ninth-most-populous city.
Maine
Penobscot Nation and Environmental Advocates Raise Concerns About PFAS in Landfill Runoff
Representatives of the Penobscot Nation as well as environmental and health groups are pushing for tighter regulations on what happens to liquid waste from a state-owned landfill in Old Town as they seek to protect tribal members from potential dangers of so-called “forever chemicals.”
Cannabis May be a Surprising Solution to Maine’s ‘Forever Chemicals’ Problem News
Ongoing research by members of the Micmac Nation and the group Upland Grassroots, along with scientists in Connecticut and Virginia, is looking at the ability of industrial hemp to extract PFOS from the soil.
Massachusetts
Natick PFAS Filter Near Completion, But Delays Continue
A new water filtration system in Natick designed to remove PFAS chemicals from drinking water is very close to completion, according to the Department of Public Works, but could be complete by February.
Michigan
Beef Distributed by Livingston Co. Farm Might Contain PFOS
State health officials are advising consumers that beef sold by a Hartland Township cattle company might contain the PFOS.
MSU Researcher Receives $1.9M Grant to Develop Testing Framework for PFAS Toxicity
A multi-institutional research team led by Michigan State University has been awarded a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program.
Wolverine Worldwide PFAS Sites May Be Added to List of Nation’s Most Toxic Areas
ROCKFORD, MI — Two properties at the center of Michigan’s most severe PFAS contamination zone are being eyed for addition to a roster of the nation’s most toxic sites.
New Jersey
High Levels of PFAS Chemicals Found in 34 NJ Drinking Water Systems Affecting 500K+ People
Dozens of New Jersey water systems that serve a combined 500,000 residents exceeded new stringent standards last year for PFAS, a family of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other ailments, environmental officials said Tuesday.
Cancer-Causing Substance in New Jersey Drinking Water Traced to Lehigh County Authority Waste Treatment Plant
The Lehigh County Authority suspended a permit last year allowing a New Jersey plastics manufacturer to dispose of industrial waste in one of its treatment plants after a two-state investigation identified the plant as the source of a likely-cancer-causing chemical that turned up in New Jersey drinking water. New Jersey American Water Co. detected an industrial solvent called 1,4-Dioxane in samples of Delaware River water near its plant that produces water for four South Jersey counties in February 2020.
New York
NY Enacts New PFAS Testing, Notification Law
A new law on the books in New York establishes the most comprehensive drinking-water testing and notification program in the nation for PFAS, substances known as “forever chemicals.”
North Carolina
EPA Orders Chemical Makers to Test Toxicity of PFAS, Giving NC Residents a Partial Victory
Chemical makers who produce PFAS must start testing the toxicity of their products, according to a new decision recently announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Testing Deer in Bucks County for PFAS
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is testing deer in Bucks County for chemicals that could make the animals dangerous to eat.
Virginia
Virginia Completes Initial PFAS Sampling, but Study is Limited
Limited sampling of Virginia’s public drinking water has revealed the presence PFAS, according to a new report by the Virginia Department of Health. The study tested samples from 45 waterworks for 25 different types of PFAS, and PFAS were found in 15 of 63 samples. The report also examined the current science on PFAS compounds, as well as available regulatory approaches and treatment options.
West Virginia
CDC Finds High Levels of ‘Forever Chemical’ Pfhxs in Blood
High levels of a “toxic forever” chemical used in firefighting foam have been found in the blood of residents of a West Virginia community near an Air National Guard base.
Federal Agencies Release Report on Martinsburg PFAS Presence
A new report from federal agencies details the presence of substances in Martinsburg as well as efforts to mitigate the issue. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry studied the human impact of PFAS in Martinsburg and Berkeley County.
Wisconsin
Judge: DNR can Continue PFAS Sampling, but Can’t Enforce
The Department of Natural Resources can continue to test wastewater for PFAS but can’t take legal action against polluters until state lawmakers set water quality standards for the compounds, a Jefferson County judge ruled.
DNR Asks Anglers Near Bay of Green Bay to Avoid Eating Rock Bass
The Department of Natural Resources is asking anglers to limit their consumption of rock bass caught in the Bay of Green Bay and some of its tributaries, after the fish were found to have high levels of “forever chemicals” in their bodies.
