Lab Matters Summer 2018 | Page 52

APHL 2018 Annual Meeting Poster Abstracts

Environmental Health

100 – 200 volunteers , between the ages of 20 and 74 , from the residents who have lived in the affected communities during past three years . Drinking water and house dust are also measured for 14 PFASs listed in EPA water testing method ( Method 537 ) in first year . Questionnaires are administered to collect information on demographics and potential PFNA sources . The subject recruitment was begun in summer of 2017 . To date , 85 subjects were recruited and home visits were made , including questionnaire survey , blood draw and water / dust collection . Among the collected samples , 65 sera , 46 tap waters and 36 house dust samples were analyzed at PHEL in NJDOH . The results showed serum PFNA (( GM [ 95 % CIs ]; 4.10 [ 3.09-5.44 ] ng / mL , n = 65 ) were higher than a national average ( 0.68 [ 0.61-0.74 ], n = 2168 ) from the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ( NHANES ). For drinking water , all samples were lower than reporting limits ( 5 ng / L ). Some PFASs were detected (> 10 ng / g ) in house dust . We will complete the firstyear recruitment and sample analyses by the summer of 2018 and repeat serum analyses for the same subjects at year 2 and 3 . The obtained data will be used to evaluate whether the intervention is effective and to identify significant sources of PFNA exposure . This study will demonstrate a biomonitoring study is a useful tool to assess effectiveness of intervention on community exposure to PFAS-contaminated drinking water . In addition , this study approach will provide a foundation for future researches in other PFASaffected communities across the US .

Presenter : Zhihua ( Tina ) Fan , PhD , New Jersey Department of Health / PHEL / ECLS , Ewing , NJ , Phone : 609.530.2803 , Email : tina . fan @ doh . nj . gov

An Assessment of Serum for Six Perfluoroalkyl Substances from a Small Human Population

L . Blum , S . Donovan and D . Schiller , NMS Labs

Six perfluoroalkyl substances ( PFAS ) used by the U . S . EPA to assess drinking water under the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule ( UCMR3 ) were tested in 151 randomly selected de-identified serum samples . PFASs are a group of chemicals used in a variety of industries and consumer products . As a result of their use , these persistent chemicals can be found in drinking water . The six PFAS contaminants tested in drinking water by the U . S . EPA under UCMR3 include perfluorobutanesulfonic acid ( PFBS ), perfluoroheptanoic acid ( PFHpA ), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid ( PFHxS ), perfluorononanoic acid ( PFNA ), perfluorooctanoic acid ( PFOA ) and perfluorooctancsulfonic acid ( PFOS ). The serum samples selected for testing had unknown exposures to these six PFASs . Sixty-four ( 64 ) of the samples tested were from females and 87 from males . The samples were from individuals ranging in age from 1 to 90 years ( average = 40.7 ± 20.7 years ; median = 41.5 years ) and were submitted from 24 different U . S . states . The quantitative assay used to test for the six PFASs in these serum specimens consisted of HPLC separation with negative-ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry ( LC-MS / MS ). The samples were prepared for analysis by adding analyte specific 13Carbon isotopes as internal standards with subsequent protein precipitation . The analytical measurement ranges ( AMR ) were 0.05 to 10 ng / mL for PFBS , PFHpA , PFHxS and PFNA ; and 0.5 to 100 ng / mL for PFOA and PFOS . This population of specimens ( n = 151 ) with unknown exposures to these substances showed the following respective median and 97.5th percentile values as measured for the linear components of PFBS (< 0.05 , 0.06 ng / mL ); PFHpA (< 0.05 , 0.47 ng / mL ); PFHxS ( 0.99 , 5.75 ng / mL ); PFNA ( 0.42 , 1.44 ng / mL ); PFOA ( 1.12 , 4.13 ng / mL ); and PFOS ( 1.77 , 11.5 ng / mL ). The values determined in this investigation were similar to other studies that measured these substances in the general population . This assay can be used in biological monitoring of serum for the six PFASs tested in drinking water under EPA UCMR3 .

Presenter : Lee Blum , PhD , NMS Labs , Willow Grove , PA , Phone : 215.366.1224 , Email : lee . blum @ nmslabs . com

Comparison of Water Quality Indicator Methods for Recreational Water in San Diego County

S . Steele , M . Victorio and B . Austin , San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency , San Diego , CA

Background : There are three accepted and widely utilized EPA approved bacterial water quality methods to monitor recreational beach water quality . These methods include multiple tube fermentation ( MTF ), membrane filtration ( MF ) and the definedsubstrate method . Each method has benefits and drawbacks . The purpose of this study is to identify the best water quality analysis method for the San Diego County shoreline based on quality , cost effectiveness and timeliness . Objective : San Diego County has an abundance of natural bathing beaches and ocean coastline to enjoy . In order to assure the public ’ s health , the Department of Environmental Health ( DEH ) and Public Health Services set standards for bacterial contamination and engage in sampling , testing and reporting to the public the ongoing status of area beaches . The 1997 Beach Water Act ( CA AB411 ) established the requirement for jurisdictions to monitor the quantity of the indicator bacteria known as total coliforms , fecal coliforms and enterococci . In 2004 , the Federal Beach Water Act was passed , which required the monitoring of two bacterial indicators : Escherichia coli and enterococci . MTF is the current coliform method being used to assess water quality of San Diego County beaches and will be the benchmark against which the other methods are compared . MTF is labor-intensive and takes a long time to yield results . The San Diego Public Health Laboratory ( SDPHL ) hypothesized that equivalent results could be obtained in a shorter time frame with other methods .

Method : More than 2,000 samples from approximately 48 locations are to be collected and analyzed between April 2017 and April 2018 . The EPA Site-Specific Alternative Recreational Criteria Technical Support Materials for Alternative Indicators and Methods will be used , along with the recommended index of agreement ( IA ) statistical calculation , to assess the agreement among methods and determine which methods can be used for each beach location .

Results : Method comparison results will be available at the conclusion of the study in April 2018 . SDPHL will show the IA for paired samples that meet the detection criteria for each collection site . The study will demonstrate which method provides the best data based on accuracy , time to report and expense for each site .

Presenter : Syreeta Steele , PhD , San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency , Public Health Laboratory , San Diego , CA , Phone : 619.692.8500 , Email : Syreeta . steele @ sdcounty . ca . gov