Presentation from the “Nonexistent Data” session of the “Our World, Our Data” conference held at at MIT Media Lab on April 30, 2017. Organized by Safecast with sponsorship from the Shuttleworth Fund. Many thanks to Joi Ito, Director of the MIT Media Lab, and Ethan Zuckerman and Lorrie LeJeune of The Center for Civic Media. https://www.media.mit.edu/events/our-world-our-data/

1. Nonexistent Data: The Need for
Monitoring Contaminants of Emerging
Concern in Drinking Water
Disclaimer:
This work is not a product of the United States Government or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The author is not
doing this work in any governmental capacity. The views expressed are his/her own and do not necessarily represent those of
the United States or U.S. EPA.
Jay M. Patel
Patel.jay@analyzechemicals.com
Our World, Our Data
Cambridge, MA
April 30, 2017
www.AnalyzeChemicals.com

2. Outline
• Pollutants vs Contaminants
• Safe Water Drinking Act, 1996
• What are Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) ?
• PFOS Timeline: CEC to Pollutant
• Identifying Potential CECs
• Nonexistent Data for CECs in Water
• A Citizen Science Approach for Monitoring CECs
• Conclusions

3. Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA), 1996
• Mandates monitoring of water resources (except private wells used
by less than 25 people) for 114 chemicals such as organics, inorganics
[1] and microorganisms
• Sets enforceable max. contaminant levels (MCLs)
• Mandates that EPA can additionally monitor for no more than 30
unregulated contaminants every five years [2]. This is called
unregulated contaminant monitoring rule (UCMR).
[1] http://scorecard.goodguide.com/chemical-groups/one-list.tcl?short_list_name=mcl
[2] https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr

4. Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)
European
commission
Funded
Norman
Network [1]
classifies ~900
chemicals as
CECs
[1] http://www.norman-network.net/?q=node/19

5. PFOS Timeline: CEC to Pollutant
1956 1970s 1999 May 2000 2000s 20061997
Detects PFOS
in blood banks
around the
world
US EPA Launches
Investigation
3M phases
out US
production
DOD starts noticing
PFOS in drinking
water on some
Military bases
Partial EU ban
2008
Canada
Bans PFOS
2009
Included in Stockholm
convention list
2012
US EPA adds
PFCs to 3rd
UCMR and issues
a health advisory
(70 ppb)

6. Identifying Potential CECs
• Hazard Score
(mutagenicity, acute
mammalian toxicity
etc)
• Exposure Score
(consumer product
usage by wt, release
in environment etc)
• Bioaccumulation
score (half life, BCF
etc)
(TSCA)
(FIFRA)
(FDCA)
Parameters in red are protected by
confidential business information (CBI)
regulations

7. Hydrolysis Half Life for Bioaccumulation Score
• 6: <2.4
hours
• 5: 2.4 hrs-
24hrs
• 4: 24hrs-
7d
• 3: 7d-60d
• 2: 60d-
365d
• 1: >365d
Stevens, Patel et al. Environ Sci. Tech. (2017)

8. Nonexistent Data for CECs in water
[1] https://www2.usgs.gov/envirohealth/geohealth/full_activities_list.html
[2] Hu et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2016, 3 (10), pp 344–350
2013-2015 [2]
1999-2009
Public Wells [1]

9. A Citizen Science Approach for Monitoring CECs
http://analyzechemicals.com/citizen-science/
Citizen science based SPE/TLC: <$20/sample
Lab based traditional analysis: ~$200/sample

10. Conclusions
• Monitoring CECs is vital to ensure safe drinking water
• Many present-day CECs will end up as tomorrow’s
regulated substances
• Proactive changes in the statutes required such as TSCA
reform, 2016 and EU’s REACH
• Citizen science can successfully fill the data gaps at
fraction of the cost

11. Questions?
Thank You
Disclaimer:
This work is not a product of the United States Government or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The author is not
doing this work in any governmental capacity. The views expressed are his/her own and do not necessarily represent those of
the United States or U.S. EPA.
Jay M. Patel
Patel.jay@analyzechemicals.com
Our World, Our Data
Cambridge, MA
April 30, 2017
www.AnalyzeChemicals.com