April 2022 ASCE-NH Newsletter (clone) | Page 6

March 2022 ASCE-NH Lunch and Learn Webinar Summary

The March 2022 ASCE-NH lunch and learn occurred virtually as a Webinar via Zoom Video Communications . There were over 95 attendees during the event and the Webinar was another excellent opportunity for Members of the Sections ( and Non-Members ) to gather remotely , receive PDHs , and engage in an interesting topic .

The Webinar was led by Harrison Roakes PE and Stephen Zemba PE of Sanborn , Head , and Associates . They led a fascinating discussion on Per- and PolyFluoroAlkyl Substances ( PFAS ), what they are , how they persist in the environment , and how they migrate between different areas and substances . Mr . Zemba gave a detailed breakdown of how these substances can be deposited from the atmosphere in either wet or dry conditions and how these different methods of deposition lead to different disbursement in the adjacent environments . He showed how in different case studies , drinking water wells could be found to be contaminated from sites up to 20 miles away from their industrial sources .

Mr . Roakes then focused on how these depositions into the soil and surface waters migrate into the groundwater and contaminate drinking water resources . He also touched on why these compounds are so persistent and why they are such a health issue . He then went into the background levels of PFAS and showed how they are found to some extent everywhere and there is a base line throughout entire regions that is ubiquitous .

Thank you to Stephen and Harrison for their time and effort to make this Webinar an exceptional learning experience . Please look for more Webinar opportunities from the ASCE-NH Section in the coming months .

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