May 2024

According to the agency:

EPA is taking a signature step to protect public health by establishing legally enforceable levels for several PFAS known to occur individually and as mixtures in drinking water. This rule sets limits for five individual PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (also known as “GenX Chemicals”). The rule also sets a limit for mixtures of any two or more of four PFAS: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and “GenX chemicals.”

Public water systems have three years to complete initial monitoring. They must inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water, and where PFAS is found at levels that exceed these standards, systems must implement solutions to reduce PFAS in their drinking water within five years. EPA also announced almost $1 billion in funding to help states and territories implement testing and treatment at public water systems and to help private well owners address PFAS contamination.

“EPA claims the final rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses,” said Jeff Bannon, PG, Vice President of Environmental Services at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “An estimated 6% to 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S. that are subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet the new standards.”

To help water utilities, private well owners, companies and regulatory agencies test for PFAS, the environmental professionals at CSC offer testing, consulting and monitoring services. These resources help to protect the public and support health and safety compliance efforts. Several years ago, CSC even sponsored an educational video about PFAS and potential exposure risks that can still be seen below: 

To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, environmental, health and safety services, please:

Wildfire Preparedness Week and Protecting Workers from Respiratory Hazards

The first week of May was recognized as Wildfire Preparedness Week in California. It is a time when the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and partner agencies share proactive ways that people, communities and businesses can protect themselves and their property from the threat of wildfires. 

During a wildfire, the public is often advised to stay indoors and avoid demanding activities, when there are periods of thick smoke; however, outdoor workers, who cannot escape to the indoors, are often at risk. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) cautions that exposure to wildfire smoke can cause many respiratory symptoms and worsen other illnesses. During pregnancy, exposure to wildfire smoke can even affect fetal development according to NIOSH.

“Exposure to too much of anything is bad, and overexposure to wildfire smoke is no exception. Smoke from wildfires and from nearby wildland-urban interface fires can result in unhealthy outdoor air quality near the fire and also can negatively impact the outdoor air quality vast distances from the event,” said Derrick A. Denis, Disaster Ready Emergency Preparedness and Infection Control (DR EPIC) Program Industrial Hygienist and Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “Whether outdoors or indoors, wildfire smoke can impact workers and building occupants. Combustion byproducts not only impact outdoor workers, but can also infiltrate the built environment degrading the indoor environmental quality in homes, schools, offices and other buildings. Smoke residues on surfaces and odors can sometimes persist outdoors and indoors for extended periods following a wildfire event.”

To help in these situations, the industrial hygiene, building science and indoor environmental quality professionals at CSC offer indoor and outdoor air testing services to identify and mitigate exposure risks to wildfire smoke and other airborne pollutants. CSC also provides employee training services on the proper use of respirators and air monitoring instruments, building assessments to evaluate filtration and engineering controls, smoke residue and odor investigations, and more. They have even sponsored an educational video about wildfire smoke and protecting outdoor workers that can be seen below:

To learn more about this or other building science, environmental, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.