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PFAS EPA Method Development and Findings for UCMR5
William A. Adams
Chemist, U.S. EPA
&
Agustin Pierri
Laboratory Technical Director, Weck Labs
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (PT)
Abstract:
The U.S. EPA, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Technical Support Branch develops drinking water analytical methods supporting programs, such as the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) Program. The UCMR Program is a national occurrence study used to collect data for contaminants that are suspected to be present in drinking water and do not have health-based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Rugged analytical methods are needed to quantify these contaminants, meaning the methods must yield reliable, accurate results over the range of field and lab conditions specified in the method. To ensure that analytical methods meet these criteria, EPA develops drinking water methods using a rigorous validation process that assesses the method performance under various conditions that would support method use at a national level. This validation process includes interference and contamination assessments, adherence to quality control acceptance criteria, quantitation limit determinations, sample preservation efficacies, and multi-laboratory comparisons. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) constitute a significant portion of the fifth UCMR cycle (UCMR 5).

In this webinar, William Adams, PhD (EPA) will give an overview of EPA analytical method development and validation processes for drinking water methods supporting the UCMR Program, using EPA published and in-development PFAS analytical methods as examples.

Agustin Pierri (Weck Laboratories) will add the experiences of a commercial laboratory doing PFAS analysis both in support of UCMR5 and for routine drinking water compliance monitoring. Weck Laboratories has been analyzing environmental samples for PFAS for over fifteen years and has developed a comprehensive understanding of the challenges associated with this type of analysis. In the first few months of UCMR5 testing and the first years of routine compliance monitoring in California, the lab has seen some interesting results. Dr. Pierri will cover the differences between the commonly used analytical methods and their applications, some of the challenges that may arise with each method, as well as the results and what they could mean for water quality. Suggestions on how to overcome these challenges and how to successfully deploy these methods in a commercial laboratory will also be examined.
Key Learning Points:
  • Learn how the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking water optimizes and validates methods for UCMR5
  • Understand how one lab is applying this method to determine PFAS in real water samples
  • Find out what LODs and LOQs are seeing in the first six months of UCMR5
Who Should Attend:
  • Anyone interested in PFAS contamination in drinking water and looking to sort out analytical challenges. 
Speakers' Bio:
William A. Adams,
Ph.D., Chemist U.S. EPA, Office Ground Water and Drinking Water

Dr. Adams is a Chemist with the U.S. EPA, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Technical Support Branch (TSB) in Cincinnati, OH, where he serves as the TSB project officer for EPA drinking water method development, manages the EPA Drinking Water Alternate Test Procedure (ATP) Program, and advises the UCMR program as a technical and analytical method resource. He received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from The University of Alabama.

Agustin Pierri
Ph.D., Technical Director at Weck Laboratories

Dr. Agustin Pierri obtained his BS in Chemistry from the University of Southern California and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California Santa Barbara. He has been an analyst in different sections of the laboratory and since 2007 has worked in the LC-MS/MS department developing all analytical methods by that technique. Prior to becoming Technical Director in July of 2016, he has been working as Methods Development Manager for all departments of the Laboratory. 

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