Metrohm USA

Clean Water Symposium, March 29th, UC Irvine, Urban Water Research Center, RSVP here, FREE to attend!

5 of the Clean Water Act’s leading experts discuss Hexachrome, Perchlorate & Bromate in our Nation’s drinking water – and what’s being done about it.

Symposium schedule

8:00 – 8:45 am
Registration	Pick up your entry badge in the lobby and enjoy coffee & pastries before the presentations begin.
8:45 am
Welcome & Key Note	Introductions by Dr. Bill Cooper, Director of UCI Urban Water Research Center
9:15 am
Bromate, Chromium VI and Perchlorate: Challenges to Default Assumptions Used in Establishing Drinking Water Standards	Presented by Dr. Richard (Dick) Bull, Prof. Emeritus, Washington State University (retired) Government efforts to establish public health standards are generally informed by scientific assessment of the probability of health risks. These assessments have largely been based on descriptive data of the dose-response relationships for inducing pathological changes in experimental animals — and less commonly from human experience. In general, it has been assumed that risks associated with carcinogens varied linearly with dose. In the case of chemicals producing other health effects, the dose-response has been considered to be non-linear and without risk at some low dose. Increasingly, better information is available to describe how specific chemicals produce their adverse effects: the mechanisms and modes of action by which adverse effects are produced are better understood; and comparative pharmacokinetic data provide a more accurate way of describing dose-response relationships. The rapid systemic reduction of chromium VI and bromate indicate that internal dose is not linear with external dose. Research shows that genotoxicity does not play a role in bromate-induced cancer at the lowest carcinogenic doses given to rats; bromate causes effects in rats that are not produced in humans. And humans are clearly less sensitive than rats to the effects of perchlorate. The questions raised by this data will be considered in more detail during this presentation.
10:15 am
Break
10:45 am
Regulatory Processes & Consequences	Presented by Dr. Joseph Cotruvo, President of Joseph Cotruvo & Assoc., LLC, Water, Environment and Public Health Consultants What are the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act? You’ll be thoroughly introduced to the tenets that the EPA must follow when regulating contaminants in drinking water — and the procedure that it will use. This presentation will also cover how the regulations for perchlorate, chromium VI and bromate (the latter two previously regulated and recently under re-examination) could evolve from their toxicology databases that drive the Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) and their legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). The EPA's current and likely target dates for producing these regulations — and what factors affect their timelines — are included in the discussion.
11:45 am
Ion Chromatography Instrumentation Overview	Presentation & Demonstration by Dr. Jay Gandhi, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Metrohm USA
12:00 – 1:30 pm
Lunch and Instrument Meet & Greet
1:30 pm
The Science Behind Chromium VI and Perchlorate Removal	Presented by Dr. Nicole Blute, Registered Professional Engineer, California Hexavalent chromium and perchlorate impact many drinking water wells in California. Explore the leading treatment options, and learn about the latest treatment technologies now in place in Southern California — including their effectiveness and costs.
3:00 pm
Break
3:15 pm
Analyzing Bromate, Perchlorate and Chromate — How Ready Are You?	Presented by Dr. Jay Gandhi, Metrohm USA Chromium in its +3 state is required by living cells to convert fat into energy; however, chromium in its +6 oxidation state (a/k/a Chromium VI, among other titles) causes health risks — especially in humans. Who’s seen the movie, “Erin Brockovich?” Fast forward a decade, and the EPA has just released an update to Method 218. How far have we come? Perchlorate salts are used as “rocket fuel” in electroplating and other industries; yet, in 1999 (C&EN article) it was scientifically proven to inhibit the human thyroid gland’s absorption of iodine — which, in turn, may cause thyroid-related diseases. Perchlorate detection/analysis in varying water matrices can be a challenge. How do we overcome the obstacles? Bromide is a naturally occurring element in water; however, when water utilities combine ozonation with UV light to disinfect our drinking water, this common process converts bromide to bromate — a known carcinogen that is regulated by US EPA. How precise can its detection get? These contaminants, as well as simple and robust analysis of them, will be discussed at length.
4:45 pm
Closing Remarks by Jeff Tompkins, VP Metrohm USA, and Dr. Bill Cooper

Our presenters are leading experts in their topics – view their credentials here