Speaking

Emerging contaminants are an ongoing issue for environmental professionals, including designers, regulators, managers and operators of industrial wastewater treatment facilities. This ranges from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the 1970s and 1980s to oxygenated fuel additives such as methyl-tert butyl ether (MtBE) in the 1990s and 2000s, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the 2000s and 2010s. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and toxins associated with harmful algal blooms such as microcystin and other cyanotoxins are the most recent ones to join the list. There are also contaminants that we have known about previously but are now receiving increased regulatory attention such as total dissolved solids (TDS). 

This presentation will focus on PFAS, cyanotoxins and TDS. Specific focus will be paid to their use in and importance to industry, their chemical structure and behavior, regulatory timeline and anticipated upcoming regulations, and effective methods for their removal in relevant industrial waste streams.