Background
PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are a diverse group of man-made chemicals that are resistant to heat, water, and oil. PFAS have been found in nearly all humans, biota, and other environmental media across the globe.
Their ubiquitous presence, resistance to natural attenuation processes and our current understanding of toxicity have led to nationwide assessment of PFAS in drinking water. This is beginning to result in an understanding of human intake from this important exposure pathway. Excreted PFAS enter wastewater collection and treatment systems which do not significantly remove or degrade these chemicals. PFAS pass through the treatment works and can result in contamination of and exposure to soil, surface water and animal tissues. To this end, evaluation of PFAS presence in wastewater (both industrial and domestic), biosolids, and receiving waters is being studied. The demand for PFAS testing and analysis in these media has dramatically increased, and new analytical methods are being approved for use in some states. Regulatory limits for PFAS in discharge waters, surface water, sediments and biosolids are being discussed federally and locally based upon these results.
This seminar will focus on the growing need for reliable, certified, consistent PFAS analytical methods for non-drinking water matrices and the potential impacts of the growing knowledge surrounding PFAS concentrations in wastewater, biosolids and surface water on the regulated community.
Seminar Information
This year’s Seminar will be divided into a morning and an afternoon session. Register for one session and receive a 15% discount code to use for the other session!
The morning session will present an overview of the much-anticipated Draft EPA Method 1633 to be used for wastewater and surface water analyses. Independent laboratory validation of the method is on-going and certification in 2022 is likely. This new method will be required for many NPDES permit holders for PFAS analysis for the first time. Challenges associated with data evaluation and determination of data usability will also be presented. As with all PFAS topics, the details are plentiful and important in the interpretation of data.
The morning session will also present a number of case studies evaluating PFAS prevalence and concentrations in biosolids and surface water. Practical examples of PFAS in biosolids and their impacts on handling and disposal will be presented. The results of surface water testing, NPDES testing and resulting issues arising from PFAS presence will also be discussed. Ample time will be provided for questions and discussions after each presentation.
The afternoon session of the Seminar will be solely focused on EPA and State regulator visions of the future of PFAS regulation. Deborah Szaro, Acting Regional Administrator of EPA Region 1 and co-leader for the EPA Council on PFAS, will provide a keynote address reviewing the activities of the EPA Council on PFAS, the current PFAS Strategic Roadmap, and on-going research and testing efforts on the federal level. We will conclude with a dynamic panel of state regulators to provide updates on PFAS assessments and regulations in their states and answer questions from the audience.
General Continuing Education Certificates are awarded by the EBC for both of these webinars (3.0 training contact hours). Certificates are automatically provided via email link for registered attendees at the conclusion of the conference sessions.
Additional information can be found under the “Agenda Details” tab above.
