Read Time: 3 Mins Recycling and reusing items is generally accepted as the “right” thing to do. But what if there were unintended, negative consequences to recycling? For example, old car tires are often ground down and reused for synthetic turf, with roughly 40,000...
Author Highlights
Craig Butt
Eliminate chick culling with innovative technology
Read Time: 3 minutes While it sometimes seems questionable whether humanity and modern technology can coexist, technological advances in science can help pave the way to more compassionate business practices. Consider the poultry industry, for example, where male...
Using wastewater monitoring to assess exposure to PFAS
Read Time: 3 minutes Per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are known for their water- and grease-resistant properties, which make them useful in many everyday items. In fact, a study from 2020 estimated over 200 “use categories” covering more than 1,400...
Telling the PFAS story with pine needles
Read Time: 2 minutes As an ever-expanding group of chemicals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) require novel techniques to monitor their current and historical presence in the environment. Concerns over exposure to PFAS chemicals continue to grow, with some...
The hidden ingredient in anti-fog sprays: PFAS
Read time: 2 minutes A recent study led by researchers from Duke University, conducted with colleagues from Wayne State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, found that four of the top-rated anti-fog sprays contained up to 20.7 milligrams of...
Previously unknown group of PFAS compounds detected near Solvay manufacturing site in New Jersey
In a recent PFAS fireside chat, Dr. John Washington from the US EPA discussed the findings of a recent study published in Science that detected a novel group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—called chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylates (ClPFPECAs)—in soil...
What are the differences between EPA methods 533 and 537.1?
With the risk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination and accumulation in humans and wildlife on the rise, it is important to continuously improve and demonstrate capabilities for accurate and precise low-level quantification in research and...
PFAS testing: solid phase extraction vs. direct injection methods
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Defense (DoD) methods for testing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water require using solid phase extraction (SPE). SPE has been used extensively in environmental contaminant analysis...
Short-chain PFAS compounds are on the rise- Craig’s PFAS Vodcast Cora Young
Read time: 2 minutes Short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasing in the Canadian Arctic environment, with the most rapid increases occurring post-2000, according to a recent study in Geophysical Research Letters (April 2020). For example,...
Identifying the unknown PFAS profile in firefighting foams/AFFF
Read time: 2 minutes According to a recent study from Harvard University, the US EPA, and NIEHS, traditional targeted analysis techniques poorly characterize the PFAS composition of contemporary PFAS-based firefighting foams, know as aqueous film-forming foams...
Is it raining PFAS?
Read time: 5 minutes It certainly is in the Great Lakes. According to raw data from the US EPA-Canada Great Lakes monitoring program, there has been a growing prevalence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in rainwater in the Great Lakes basin. Since last...
The ugly truth about beauty products: PFAS in cosmetics
Read time: 7 minutes Scientists find signs of potentially dangerous "forever chemicals" in more than 100 popular makeup products If you have ever wondered what gives long-lasting cosmetics their staying power, you may now have your answer. Scientists have found highly...