#pfas wastewater

[percasolutions]

Perca is a leading provider of advanced solutions in water treatment and waste management. Specializing in innovative technologies, they focus on offering sustainable methods for wastewater purification. Their services aim to address environmental challenges by efficiently treating wastewater and improving water quality. By using cutting-edge processes and tailored solutions, Perca supports industries in managing waste responsibly. Their expertise in wastewater purification ensures compliance with environmental regulations while contributing to sustainable development. With a commitment to eco-friendly practices, Perca is at the forefront of water treatment solutions.

[prose2passion]

not sure if groundbreaking is the word I would have used next to wastewater - sets the reader up for a too literal interpretation ...

[turtlesandfrogs]

Started the day by reading this article from the NY times, and I'm frankly, disturbed.

Some highlights:

"For decades, farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer. It was rich in nutrients, and it helped keep the sludge out of landfills."

Which I knew, and I knew that there were concerns about contaminants from like, the medications people were on. But human waste is part of the nutrient cycle, and it always made sense to me that it should be throughly composted and returned to agricultural lands, and I assumed that people in general were taking the steps necessary to make it safe.

But here's what I didn't know:

"The 1972 Clean Water Act had required industrial plants to start sending their wastewater to treatment plants instead of releasing it into rivers and streams, which was a win for the environment but also produced vast new quantities of sludge that had to go somewhere."

Which, yay, no longer polluting bodies of water, but now that means we're applying industrial waste water to agricultural lands. And have been since 1972. Which leads to this situation, among many others, I'm sure:

"The sludge that allegedly contaminated the Colemans’ farm came from the City of Fort Worth water district, which treats sewage from more than 1.2 million people, city records show. Its facility also accepts effluent from industries including aerospace, defense, oil and gas, and auto manufacturing. Synagro takes the sludge and treats it (though not for PFAS, as it’s not required by law) then distributes it as fertilizer."

So here's what some states are doing:

"In Michigan, among the first states to investigate the chemicals in sludge fertilizer, officials shut down one farm where tests found particularly high concentrations in the soil and in cattle that grazed on the land. This year, the state prohibited the property from ever again being used for agriculture. Michigan hasn’t conducted widespread testing at other farms, partly out of concern for the economic effects on its agriculture industry.

In 2022, Maine banned the use of sewage sludge on agricultural fields. It was the first state to do so and is the only state to systematically test farms for the chemicals. Investigators have found contamination on at least 68 of the more than 100 farms checked so far, with some 1,000 sites still to be tested.

“Investigating PFAS is like opening Pandora’s box,” said Nancy McBrady, deputy commissioner of Maine’s Department of Agriculture."

This is fun:

"The E.P.A. is currently studying the risks posed by PFAS in sludge fertilizer (which the industry calls biosolids) to determine if new rules are necessary.

The agency continues to promote its use on cropland, though elsewhere it has started to take action. In April, it ordered utilities to slash PFAS levels in drinking water to near zero and designated two types of the chemical as hazardous substances that must be cleaned up by polluters. The agency now says there is no safe level of PFAS for humans...

It’s difficult to know how much fertilizer sludge is used nationwide, and E.P.A. data is incomplete. The fertilizer industry says more than 2 million dry tons were used on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018. And it estimates that farmers have obtained permits to use sewage sludge on nearly 70 million acres, or about a fifth of all U.S. agricultural land."

There's more, but I wanted to condense it at least a little bit. I am glad we're raising awareness, and I'm glad we're starting to regular the amount in our drinking water, and I hope that we'll find a way to actually deal with PFAS. I am so frustrated that people are exposed in the first place, and in nigh inescapable ways.

Also, to all those people who were like, oh, organic isn't at all healthier for consumers? Guess what the organic standards don't allow to be applied?

[gottalottarocks]

You guys have probably heard that the EPA just set new Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for the first time in decades for PFAS, which is BIG news in the industry, but not a surprise. I've been in meetings for months hearing about how new PFAS regulations were in the works, and the consensus in the environmental sector is that it's long overdue. But for the rest of you who've never heard of PFAS before I can break down what the big issues are and why they've taken so long to address.

^stolen from pubchem

So PFAS stands for per- and poly- flouroalkyl substances, and it's not one chemical compound, but an entire class of thousands of chemicals that have these chains of Carbon and Flourine atoms. For anybody who doesn't have a chem background fluorine is a nasty atom, it has seven electrons in its valence shell and it will do anything to fill it up to eight, creating incredibly strong bonds.

So you have really strong C-F bonds and these chains of C and F atoms are hydrophobic, which means these compounds are durable and water resistant, which makes them great for all sorts of industrial uses. And we've used them in everything: clothing, fast food wrappers, paints, solar panels, and non-stick pans just to start.

Unfortunately, these wonder chemicals are PBTM- Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic, and Mobile. They don't break down, they build up in the food chain, they have adverse health effects, and even though C-F chains are hydrophobic, additional compounds connected to them can make them soluble in water (so they're in our drinking water). We're starting to realize PFAS can raise cholesterol, inhibit immune response, interfere with your thyroid (part of your hormonal system), cause liver toxicity, is linked to cancer, and more!

At this point you're probably starting to think wtf, how did we allow the continued widespread use of these chemicals? Well, we have phased out quite a few high profile PFAS compounds including PFOA and PFOS, but we still want to regulate and test for them in our drinking water. While PFAS is in many different products, the biggest sources of contamination are industrial runoff, areas where fire fighting foams were tested and used, landfills that leach out PFAS into the surrounding area, and wastewater treatment plants. So don't feel too stressed about eating microwave popcorn or using nail polish.

The reason these regulations took so long to implement was because of how difficult it was to connect such small amounts of PFAS with health hazards. The level of concern for PFAS is extremely low- in the ppt (parts per trillion) range. When I sample for contaminants I'm generally testing in the ppm range and higher, for PFAS we're looking an entire scale lower. We literally did not have the technology before the last few decades to detect PFAS in the ppt range in water, let alone study their effects (you can't just impose massive regulations without any proof to back it up).

States that currently have PFAS limits in drinking water have mostly capped it in the 10-70 ppt range. The new MCLs are 4-10 ppt for the six PFAS compounds the EPA addressed, which are six of the most common and most studied PFAS compounds. Most of the bitching I've seen is about how much this will cost and that the new limits are too low. The conservative take on this is that there isn't enough evidence to support such low MCLs, although most people in the environmental industry feel that more and more research keeps coming out and will keep coming out (remember studying such small amounts of anything is difficult) to support these levels. On the other side of the spectrum, there's the consensus that this is just the beginning and that more and more regulations on PFAS will be needed.

And they're in the works! I saw a proposed rule by the EPA that would ban 12 (already defunct) PFAS substances from pesticides. It wouldn't really affect the current manufacturing of pesticides, but it would be a safeguard from letting them back into the manufacturing process in case of a conservative presidency.

If you're still here I'd like to end on the note that as our science improves, our understanding of how we have impacted the environment and our health will improve. We are constantly going to find out about the adverse effects of new chemicals or things that we may not even produce anymore, and that's a good thing. Over time we are going to make the world a healthier and safer place.

[wachinyeya]

From the article:

Researchers have invented a filter that removes harmful PFAS chemicals from water and recycles them in renewable batteries. 

University of Queensland scientists say they believe the technology will be on the market in three years.

What's next?

The filters will be trialled at a Brisbane wastewater treatment plant before being expanded to other sites.

[thoughtlessarse]

Germany has said it will not take any extra action to reduce the discharge of toxic PFAS chemicals into the Rhine, despite calls from Dutch drinking water companies for action. Last month drinking water firms wrote to German environment minister Steffi Lemke urging her to “set boundaries” for the discharge. The Rhine is an important source of fresh water for Dutch households. However, according to Trouw, the minister has said it is difficult to measure the amount of PFAS in industrial wastewater. In addition, she says there is a lack of technology to remove the unwanted chemicals from water entering the Rhine. “What the Germans are saying is that there is nothing they can do to control the current discharges,” RIWA director Gerard Stroomberg told Trouw. “We are happy to talk to them about this,” he said. Stroomberg called the German attitude remarkable because water companies in the Netherlands can measure and remove PFAS.

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[torrentlaboratory23]

PFAS Testing for a Safer Environment | Torrent Laboratory

Torrent Laboratory provides PFAS testing in drinking water, wastewater, and more. Certified by top agencies, we ensure accurate detection and fast turnaround times. Protect your community with Torrent's reliable PFAS testing services.

[percasolutions]

Perca is dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture through innovative practices, focusing on the benefits of composting with Eisenia fetida. These red wiggler worms are highly effective in breaking down organic matter, resulting in nutrient-rich vermicompost that enhances soil health and fertility. Perca offers resources and solutions for both home gardeners and commercial growers, emphasizing the importance of using Eisenia fetida for sustainable farming. By integrating these worms into composting systems, Perca aims to reduce waste and improve agricultural productivity, contributing to a greener future.

[a-queer-little-wombat]

Yes to all of that.

And also.

Do you "glorious revolution" folks have even the slightest idea how delicately balanced our *food* infrastructure is? Clean water infrastructure? Sewage and trash infrastructure?

[Ignore for a moment the issues of lead, PFAS, etc in water supplies. I'm talking about basic access to potable water AT ALL.]

In the first day of revolution, hundreds of thousands of people have died from acute medical issues. In the first week, millions have died from lack of water and more are beginning to die of starvation. In the first month, millions more are starving to death because the stores have been emptied and no trucks are coming to replenish them. In the first month, millions are dying of dysentery and cholera due to lack of sanitation (water pumps stopped working, wastewater isn't moving, water sanitation facilities aren't working, thus literal feces are piling up). In the first month, millions are dying from chronic, ongoing medical conditions that they can no longer get medications or support for (diabetes, thyroid, cancer, asthma, anaphylaxis, high blood pressure, etc).

How long will it take you to get those services back up and running? How many people will die before you do?

Remember, too, that in those first few hours, the billionaires got on their planes and jetted out of your reach.

I think a lot about how, if the glorious violent revolution happens, every kid with significant medical needs in a hospital where power gets cut will die.

You can decide you're willing to sacrifice your own life, but you don't get to tell everybody else on the planet that they're acceptable collateral damage.

[tsmom1219]

Nonlethal detection of PFAS bioaccumulation and biomagnification within fishes in an urban- and wastewater-dominant Great Lakes watershed

George, S. E., Baker, T. R., & Baker, B. B. (2023). Nonlethal detection of PFAS bioaccumulation and biomagnification within fishes in an urban- and wastewater-dominant Great Lakes watershed. Environmental Pollution, 321, 121123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121123 Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic endocrine disruptors that are particularly stable and…

[plethoraworldatlas]

There is a call-to-action at the end of this article. Please don’t leave without taking action! Thank you!

What Are Biosolids?

“Biosolids” is the word waste treatment industry marketers came up with to rebrand sewage sludge, the solid byproduct of wastewater treatment processes. The reason the industry needed to rebrand sewage sludge was because they planned on marketing and selling the nutrient-rich waste to farmers and home gardeners as cheap fertilizer and compost products.

But biosolids aren’t just rich in nutrients. Biosolids can contain high levels of toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that aren’t removed during the waste treatment process. And neither are the phthalates, pesticides, PCBs, antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, microplastics, heavy metals, and innumerable other harmful substances that have been found in biosolids.

Applications of biosolids contaminate the soil with toxic PFAS and other chemicals, which are then taken up by crops grown in that soil. PFAS also migrates to contaminate groundwater and surface waters. The meat, milk and eggs of livestock become contaminated when the animals consume adulterated crops and water.

The biosolids industry and the commercial fertilizer and compost companies that use biosolids continue to claim that the products are safe and non-toxic. Even municipalities have been giving out biosolids fertilizer and compost to farmers, community gardens, and home gardeners for free, without warning about the dangers.

Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), though aware of the problem, still allows the commercialization of toxic biosolids. Just as alarming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) actively promotes the use of biosolids as fertilizer to commercial farmers. We suspect this is due to the revolving door and corporate capture of our regulatory agencies and the resulting collusion, favoring corporate profits over human or environmental health.

In 2022, Sally Brown, Research Professor at the University of Washington and veteran biosolids industry lobbyist, was selected by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on USDA’s inaugural Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture.

Sally Brown once called environmental activists “ecoterrorists” for a successful protest on March 4, 2010, that stopped the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission from giving away sewage sludge as “organic biosolids compost” for home and school gardens.

As you’ll soon read, it’s Sally Brown that is the ecoterrorist for promoting biosolids.

Biosolids Poisoning Farms and Farmers Across America

The practice of using biosolids as fertilizer on conventional farms has been happening for decades but has, more recently, turned into a national catastrophe, creating a crisis for farmers and ranchers across the country.

Although the use of biosolids as fertilizer is prohibited in organic agriculture, even organic farms have been hit hard.

March 22, 2022, The Guardian reported:

Maine organic farmers Johanna Davis and Adam Nordell bought Songbird Farm in 2014. By 2021 the young family with their three-year-old son were hitting their stride, Nordell said. But disaster struck in December. The couple learned the farm’s previous owner had decades earlier used PFAS-tainted sewage sludge, or “biosolids”, as fertilizer on Songbird’s fields. Testing revealed their soil, drinking water, irrigation water, crops, chickens and blood were contaminated with high levels of the toxic chemicals. The couple quickly recalled products, alerted customers, suspended their operation and have been left deeply fearful for their financial and physical wellbeing. “This has flipped everything about our lives on its head,” Nordell said. “We haven’t done a blood test on our kid yet and that’s the most terrifying part. It’s f#####g devastating.” Ironwood Organic Farm, about six miles from Songbird Farm, tested its water and found high levels suspected to have migrated from a neighbors’ sludge-packed field. The small produce farm pulled its products, halted operations and is nervously awaiting more test results. “I spent my entire adult life building this farm,” said Nell Finnigan. “Everything is at stake for us, and this is a tragedy for anyone who comes up with a high [groundwater] well test.” Stoneridge Farm, a small dairy operation more than 100 miles south of Songbird Farm, discovered in 2016 that sludge and paper mill waste used as fertilizer had probably contaminated its cows and milk. Stoneridge killed most of its livestock in 2019. Co-owner Fred Stone was denied federal assistance for his tainted milk because one of its milk tests came in just below the state’s limit, but Stone didn’t feel comfortable selling it. Now his family of four, which believes PFAS is behind their health ailments from thyroid disease to reproductive problems, survives on welfare and friends’ and family’s generosity. Stone said he could have continued to sell contaminated food: “This is the cost of having a moral compass and doing the right thing.” “I don’t know how we are going to get debts paid,” he added. “I don’t know how the Christ we are going to live. I don’t know how we’re going to survive.”

...

March 11, 2024, KCUR reported:

“This is a hundred-year-old operation,” Jason Grostic said. “My grandpa milked cows, my dad milked cows, I milked cows, (then) got into the beef industry. It’s in my blood.” But Grostic may be at the end of the line. Two years ago, he was blindsided when the state of Michigan ordered him to shut down his farm, citing high levels of PFAS in both his beef and soil. Grostic had been using biosolids, a treated byproduct from wastewater plants, to fertilize his crops, which he then fed his cattle. But what he thought was a cost-effective fertilizer, turned out to be laden with PFAS. It’s a risk, Grostic said, no one warned him about — and now his 400-acre farm has been deemed unusable. “I took a fertilizer source that was recommended and was EPA-approved, and the government dropped the ball by not testing it and assuring it was a clean product,” he said.

We encourage you to watch the VICE Special Report, “The Hidden Chemicals Destroying American Farms,” a year long investigation featuring Jason Grostic and his experience with biosolids and PFAS. It will shock you.

[healthcaremarketanalysis]

PFAS Testing Solutions: Market Growth, Opportunities, and Innovations

The global PFAS testing market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $110 million in 2023 and is poised to reach $217 million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 14.4% from 2023 to 2028. The new research study consists of an industry trend analysis of the market. The new research study consists of industry trends, pricing analysis, patent analysis, conference and webinar materials, key stakeholders, and buying behaviour in the market.

Download PDF Brochure

PFAS Testing: Market Dynamics Driver: Greater regulatory emphasis on effective pollution monitoring and control Authorities in many countries have started enacting various policies and legislations for effective pollution monitoring and control. Regulations and legislations set forth by government organizations have triggered the testing, inspection, and certification of environmental samples by governments and manufacturing companies. In this regard, regulatory bodies have introduced guidelines regulating the inspection, sampling, and testing of environmental samples to detect the presence of pollutants and contaminants.

Restraint: Stringent storage requirements for PFAS testing reagents and analytical standards Globally, the demand for solvents, reagents and analytical standards is increasing because of the rising number of PFAS analysis and environmental testing activities; wastewater plants and industries like food and beverages require analytical reagents and standards for parent compounds to carry per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances investigations. The PFAS testing solvents and reagents should be in the required amount and should have high purity levels. This is a major challenge as their integrity can be easily affected by degradative processes.

Opportunity: Regulatory agencies to control environmental pollution due to PFAS contamination The extensive health threats related to PFAS, the government has implemented PFAS testing regulations, which leads to the increasing adoption of environmental pollution equipment for PFAS. Additionally, in October 2021, the US EPA announced the Agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, mapping out the agency’s approach to addressing the pollution due to PFAS contamination. The agency also established the EPA Council on PFAS in April 2021 to execute a bold, strategic, whole-of-EPA strategy to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.

Challenge: Inadequate supporting infrastructure and the shortage of skilled professionals Testing & certification practices in several developing countries lack organization, sophistication, and technology. The lack of the basic supporting infrastructure for setting up testing laboratories is another major challenge to the growth of the market. Testing service providers in some developing regions also face challenges in obtaining samples from manufacturing companies as they are fragmented and dominated by small enterprises. Other key issues include a lack of institutional coordination, a shortage of equipment, technical skills, and expertise for legislating legislation at the grassroots; and a lack of updated standards.

North America is expected to be the largest market for the PFAS testing industry during the forecast period. The PFAS testing market has been segmented into five major regions, namely, North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America, comprising the US and Canada, held the largest share of the global market in 2022. On the other hand, the Asia Pacific market is estimated to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period. North America accounted for a share of 45% of the market, followed by Europe with a share of 35%. This region is witnessing growth due to greater regulatory emphasis on effective pollution monitoring and control High adoption of advanced analytical technologies and growing funding for environmental testing.

Prominent players in the PFAS Testing market include:

Merck KGaA (Germany)

Agilent Technologies (US)

LGC Limited (UK)

Waters Corporation (US)

Biotage (Sweden)

AccuStandard, Inc. (US)

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Recent Developments of PFAS Testing Industry

In August 2022, Agilent Technologies, Inc. plans to invest $20 million to expand its Shanghai manufacturing center to meet growing demand in China for the company’s advanced liquid chromatography (LC), spectrometer, and mass spectroscopy (MS) systems.

In June 2022, MACHEREY-NAGEL GmbH & Co. KG introduced NUCLEODUR PFAS and PFAS Delay, HPLC columns for the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

In September 2020, Waters Corporation established its Innovation and Research Laboratory in Massachusetts (US). For the innovation of analytical instruments and their consumables, which will strengthen the product portfolio of analytical products and consumables of Waters Corporation.

Conclusion: The PFAS testing market is poised for significant growth, driven by increasing environmental and health concerns, stringent regulatory standards, and advancements in testing technologies. PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and human body, have been linked to various adverse health effects, prompting a global demand for comprehensive testing solutions.

[spotlightstory]

Water systems warn Americans could soon see major rate hikes to filter out toxic ‘forever chemicals’

05/26/24 The Hill

In exchange for cleaner water, Americans around the nation may soon have to pay hefty prices. 

Let me fix this: In exchange for water without corporate chemicals that cause cancers and child development issues the nation must upgrade the system and citizens will pay.

Water systems are starting to warn residents of massive rate hikes as they prepare to install technology to filter out toxic chemicals in a family known as PFAS.

Utilities from South Florida to upstate New York have warned customers that they could see significant price increases after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated that they remove the substances, which have been linked to a number of cancers and other diseases, from their systems.

Last month, the EPA said it will require utilities whose water systems contain high levels of six types of PFAS to remove them from the water. 

PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of thousands of chemicals that have been used to make a variety of nonstick and waterproof products and firefighting foam. 

The substances have also become ubiquitous in the environment, due in part to the fact that they tend to persist for a long time instead of breaking down.

Exposure to these so-called forever chemicals has been linked to increased risks of prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, weakened immune systems, high cholesterol, and developmental issues in children. 

Now, for the first time, utilities around the nation will be required to get them out of their drinking water to prevent customers’ exposure. But that will come at a price. 

Last month, officials with Broward County, a populous South Florida locale, warned residents that those on county water could see “double or triple water rates for users.”

Alan Garcia, director of Broward County Water and Wastewater Services, told The Hill an average monthly bill for water is currently around $26. He agreed that amount could “potentially triple” as the county filters out PFAS — though he said it’s not clear whether rates will actually increase by that much.

His utility has 66,000 accounts — representing an estimated 230,000 people.

Fort Worth, Texas, officials also warned of consequences for ratepayers ahead of the EPA setting the rule last month.

“It’s going to be expensive, and it’s going to impact our ratepayers, and we’re going to be doing everything we possibly can to get some federal support in terms of the funding, but we’re going to have to move forward,” Fort Worth Water Director Chris Harder told Fort Worth Report.

It’s not entirely clear yet which water systems will need to filter out PFAS. The rule gives utilities a few years to test their water to determine if their levels of the chemicals fall above federal thresholds. If they do, utilities will then have to install technology to get rid of them.

Water providers recently settled a major class action lawsuit against manufacturers of PFAS, and chemical giants could have to collectively pay billions of dollars to offset treatment costs. 

But, Moody said, the settlements are not expected to be enough to defray the expense. 

“If you do get money through it, it’ll likely only help you with maybe a third or a fourth of the costs,” he said. 

The added costs do come with the notable benefit of lowering communities’ exposure to the harmful substances: Garcia described PFAS treatment as “probably something important to do.”

But, he said, “we’re sort of paying the price” of companies’ PFAS use. 

And, companies are STILL using these chemicals in products.

[educationtech]

Top 8 Water Management Trends & Innovations in 2024

Arya College of Engineering & IT, Jaipur is recognised as a major contributor to the water resources engineering & management and watershed development & management at the national level.

1. SmartWater Management: Utilizing IoT, AI, and smart meters to track and manage water resources in real-time, improving efficiency, and reducing waste.

2. WastewaterProcessing: Advanced water treatment methods, such as membrane filtration, UV disinfection, and ozone treatment, for better water quality and resource recovery.

3. AdvancedFiltration: Innovative filtration techniques, including nanofiltration and ultrafiltration, for improved water treatment and purification.

4. FloodPrevention: Using drones, weather radars, and other technologies to monitor water levels and prevent flooding, ensuring water safety and resource management.

5. Water-savingtechnology: Smart irrigation systems, low-flow fixtures, and other water-saving solutions to conserve water resources.

6. DecentralizedInfrastructure: Decentralized water infrastructure, such as rainwater harvesting systems and onsite wastewater treatment, to improve access to drinking water in remote areas.

7. InnovativeMaterials: Novel materials, like graphene-based membranes, for more efficient and sustainable water treatment and filtration.

8. Desalination:Advanced desalination technologies, such as reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, for converting seawater into freshwater.

9. Real-TimeWater Quality Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of water quality in remote locations, ensuring sustainable and safe water resources.

10. Technology-DrivenReduction in Water Distribution Leakage: Innovative technologies, such as advanced sensors and data analytics, to detect and fix water leakages, conserving water resources and reducing operational costs.

11. RemoteSensing of Water: Remote sensing technologies for water accounting, non-revenue water remediation, and water management.

12. SmartIrrigation: IoT-enabled smart irrigation systems for efficient water use in agriculture.

13. WaterQuality Control: IoT-enabled water quality control systems for real-time monitoring and management.

14. DistributedTechnology: Distributed technology for expanding water and wastewater services to remote areas.

15. Low-Costand Effective PFAS Remediation: Innovative solutions for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water.

16. MagneticCell-Enrichment Technology: Attractive solutions for water treatment and resource recovery.

17. BiodegradableDisinfectants: Natural disinfecting micelles based on ionic liquids for water treatment, reducing bacterial resistance.

18. Chemical-FreeWastewater Removal Treatment: Cost-effective and chemical-free water treatment for removing dyes and producing nitrogen fertilizer.

19. ReplacingGlass pH Electrodes with Metal: More robust metal electrodes for pH sensing in water samples, improving durability and reducing fragility.

20. SparklingWater Treatment Using Nanobubbles: Cost-effective and chemical-free nanobubble generation for water treatment, with minimal impact on water quality and aquatic life.

How do smart water meters work

Smart water meters work by utilizing advancedtechnology to measure and monitor water consumption accurately and in real time. These meters consist of several core components that enable their functionality:

1. HighlyAccurate IoT Sensor: Smart water meters are equipped with a highly accurate sensor, typically based on ultrasonic or electromagnetic principles, that measures water flow precisely as it passes through the meter.

2. MicrocontrollerUnit (MCU): The meter includes a microcontroller unit that processes data collected by the sensor. The MCU can analyze water consumption patterns, detect leaks, and provide real-time data for better decision-making.

3. WirelessCommunication Modules: Smart water meters are equipped with wireless communication modules such as cellular, Wi-Fi, or LoRa. These modules enable seamless data transmission, allowing for remote monitoring of water consumption and prompt identification of anomalies.

[jcmarchi]

New NIST Database of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Will Help Scientists Monitor Environmental Pollution - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/new-nist-database-of-forever-chemicals-will-help-scientists-monitor-environmental-pollution-technology-org/

New NIST Database of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Will Help Scientists Monitor Environmental Pollution - Technology Org

Stain-resistant clothing, fast-food wrappers, extreme weather gear such as certain jackets and pants — these products get many of their desirable features from a class of manufactured chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). But there’s a major downside: Researchers have found evidence that certain PFAS can potentially cause cancer and other serious health effects.

Chemistry lab – illustrative photo. Image credit: Pixabay (Free Pixabay license)

Governmental agencies and environmental organizations are increasingly monitoring PFAS, but there are thousands of different chemical structures of PFAS with only a small fraction that can be measured with high confidence.

“There is no single authority on what is PFAS or what makes up PFAS,” said NIST biologist Jared Ragland. “We know what a few hundred of them look like structurally, but there could be 9,000 or more possible different PFAS structures. It’s not a small problem.”

For example, a community may want to know if significant levels of PFAS are in a local lake used for fishing, so   local officials send samples to a lab for testing. However, most PFAS aren’t in the suite of chemicals included for quantitative analysis, so the lab tests will miss them. In addition, the labs may have incomplete or outdated chemical data on PFAS.

Due to the continual discovery of additional PFAS, it is difficult to maintain a central database that collects and organizes the scientific community’s knowledge about known and unknown PFAS chemical structures.

To address this issue, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a database that can help others identify and categorize PFAS in chemical analysis data, including “untargeted” chemical analysis data containing information on both known PFAS and unknown PFAS that may be lurking in a sample. The database is the first of its kind and can be useful for environmental pollution monitoring and other applications.

The PFAS database is free and available for download at the NIST Public Data Repository.

PFAS were first used in the 1940s in consumer products and in industry because of their chemical properties, such as the ability to resist heat, oil and water.

Some types, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), have been replaced over the years, but in general these chemicals break down slowly and leak into the environment. They have been found in our soil, air, food and water and were used in a wide variety of manufacturing processes, consumer products and fire suppressants.

To monitor where these chemicals are found and to determine where they end up in the environment, scientists need to be able to identify them. An analytical instrument called a mass spectrometer enables scientists to detect known PFAS and understand newly observed PFAS.

This device produces a series of lines on a graph that form a unique pattern, which acts like a molecular “fingerprint” of a chemical compound. This new database includes this high-resolution mass spectrometry data and currently contains spectra for 132 PFAS.

Contextual information, such as the settings of measurement instrumentation and the types of samples that were used, are attached to each entry. It also includes the NIST “suspect” list of close to 5,000 curated chemical compounds that are highly likely to be PFAS.

The database can be used to identify PFAS in various sources, such as wastewater, tap water, surface water and groundwater, for monitoring environmental pollution. “The goal is that the database will be helpful to identify PFAS across the board and characterize novel ones to answer questions about environmental health, toxicology, exposure risk and remediation efficiency,” said Ragland.

Researchers trained in data analysis will especially find this database useful. However, NIST researchers hope to increase accessibility of the database for all users. They have created a user guide that gives step by step instructions on how to use the database.

The database is also portable, meaning it can be used offline, added to and shared between researchers, and comes with a software tool kit found on GitHub. Researchers can reuse elements of the database for organizing and identifying chemicals other than PFAS, such as other emerging contaminants or pesticides in food.

Scientists can easily share the database so they can collaborate, for example, on finding novel patterns in the PFAS data. They can also use the database to build new tools or data processing methods to identify specific types of PFAS that don’t already have high-quality mass spectroscopy data. “Researchers in this area still lack good methods for sharing data directly with others, so it’s a barrier we hope to start to break down,” said Ragland.

Source: NIST

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