June 2024 Edition

June 2024 Edition

Welcome to another edition of the Integral Digest. Our scientists and engineers work to bring innovative solutions to complex problems faced by our clients. We are sharing our insights with you on a variety of topics—here are some of our recent highlights.

Emerging Contaminants

Big Changes to Maine’s Reporting Requirements and PFAS Phase-Out

In April, Maine’s Governor Mills signed a new law (Public Law c. 630) that significantly changes the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reporting requirements and phase-out program, effective August 9, 2024. This law eliminates the broad notification requirement and introduces a new, focused reporting program. Key product categories are now exempt from sales bans, allowing manufacturers to innovate and reformulate their products.

The staged timeline for sales prohibitions extends through 2040, ensuring manufacturers have time to adapt.

At Integral, we stay ahead of regulatory developments to help you navigate these changes seamlessly. Learn more about the new law and its implications in our article, written by Miranda Henning, BCES: https://lnkd.in/gC8syYVR

??Webinar: Learn about Integral’s New PFAS Regulation Dashboard

In this hour-long discussion, Integral PFAS experts Logan Uselman, PG, PhD , Jonathan Zadra , Ph.D., and Alexandra Meyers, MPH, BCES guide you through the changing regulatory environment of PFAS. This discussion includes:

  • A look back at how different states and the federal government have approached regulating PFAS
  • An overview of how to utilize Integral’s new interactive PFAS dashboard
  • Example case studies from select states.

Watch recording here: https://www.integral-corp.com/videos/integrals-new-pfas-regulation-dashboard-webinar/

New EPA Screening Values for 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone

On June 13, 2024, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced new Acute Aquatic Life Screening Values for 6PPD, an antioxidant added to tire rubber to protect the rubber polymer, and 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q), its more bioavailable transformation product. These compounds are increasingly studied for their association with toxicity to aquatic organisms, particularly salmonids. The most acute effects are thought to occur after early season rainstorms, which flush tire-wear particles from roads into waterbodies, coinciding with spawning season. The acute toxic effects from 6PPD and 6PPD-q are still being elucidated; whether there are effects, and the extent of long-term effects is not yet known (Tian et al., 2021, DTSC et al. 2021).

EPA’s screening values for 6PPD and 6PPD-q are 8,900 nanograms per liter (ng/L) and 11 ng/L respectively, provided under section 304(a)(2)(B) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). These differ from the enforceable Ambient Water Quality Criteria established under section 304(a)(1) of the CWA due to data limitations and non-conformance with EPA test methods for the available studies. Although the underlying data are not included in federal register notices, the screening values are influenced significantly by the toxicity studies for the particularly sensitive coho salmon species.

Despite the uncertainties, these values aim to safeguard a broad spectrum of freshwater aquatic communities across various watersheds. The possible broad application of these screening values underscores the need for nuanced interpretation and localized consideration, given variations in species toxicity, aquatic ecosystems, and watershed conditions.

While these screening values may offer guidance and inform regional water quality programs, they should not be solely relied upon for making management or remedial decisions. Their status as screening values, rather than enforceable criteria, reflects uncertainty in the values.

Read the announcement: https://lnkd.in/gczTUiKa. For more information, contact Patrick Gwinn, Bridgette DeShields, Emily Guyer, PE, or Ben Leonard.

Learn more about 6PPD-q in stormwater in our previous webinar: https://lnkd.in/gqZxE23E

Company News

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