Developing Analytical Methods for Drinking Water Contaminants Jean W. Munch Office ofResearch and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Microbiological and Chemical Exposure Assessment Research Division, Cincinnati, Ohio ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE REGULATING CONTAMINANTS IN DRINKING WATER - THE PROCESS In 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act. These amendments changed the procedures that EPA must use to evaluate contaminants for possible regulation in drinking water. Every 5 years, EPA must create a list of contaminants to be evaluated for possible regulation. These chemicals must have a known health effect, and be suspected of occurring in drinking water. This list is known as the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL). • Also every five years, EPA must make a regulatory decision on at least 5 contaminants. In response to the 1996 amendments, EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) published the first Contaminant Candidate List (CCL1) in March 1998. This list contained 50 chemicals and 10 microbes. INFORMATION NEEDED TO SUPPORT REGULATORY DECISIONS GATHERING NATIONWIDE OCCURRENCE DATA EPA will gather nationwide occurrence data through the promulgation of Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulations (UCMR). The first UCMR (UCMR1), was promulgated in 1999. Under the UCMR, Public Water Systems are required to monitor for specific chemicals using an approved method, and submit the data to EPA. 19 chemicals/chemical groups on CCL1 needed to have analytical methods developed before monitoring could start. NERL collaborated with OGWDW's Technical Support Center (TSC) to devise a plan to develop analytical methods for these 19 chemicals/chemical groups, to meet the regulatory timetable (shown below). METHOD DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Multi-analyte methods Contaminants grouped by chemical similarity OCCURRENCE DATA PRIORITIES - CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS CHEMICALS/ CHEMICAL GROUPS 2,4,6-trichlorophenol 2,4-dichlorophenol 2,4-dinitrophenol 2-methylphenol Alachlor-ESA and other acetanilide degradation products Diuron Linuron Triazine degradation products Acetochlor Diazinon 1,2-diphenylhydrazine Disulfoton Fonofos Nitrobenzene Prometon Terbufos Organotins ORIGIN OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS Jl By-products of paper manufacturing Chemical intermediates for production of herbicides and other synthetic chemicals fS\ Military explosive Herbicides and herbicide degradation products Solid Rocket Fuel (oxidizer) J* Chemical intermediates in the Herbicides/Pesticides manufacture of other chemicals PVC pipe manufacturing and leaching Fungicide METHOD DEVELOPMENT LAB NERL METHOD#, COMPLETION DATE Method 528 - April 2000 o includes 8 additional phenols of environmental interest) Method 529 -Sept. 2002 (also includes 13 additional explosives and munition related compounds of environmental interest) Method # (to be determined) - Sept 2003 (proposed) (includes 11 additional acetanalide degradation products in addition to Alachlor-ESA) Method 532 -June 2000 (also includes 6 additional phenylurea pesticides of environmental interest) In progress SDWA Ammendments ¦ CCL1 promulgated UCMR1 promulgated Drinking water monitoring ¦ begins for UCMR1; Continues through 2003 Method 314.0-Nov. 1999 Method 314.3 (in progress) Method 526 -June 2000 (also includes 3 additional semi-volatile chemicals of environmental interest) In progress Complete analytical method for Alachlor- ESA and other acetanalide pesticide degradation products UCMR#, MONITORING DATES UCMR1 (2001-2003) Year of Water: Thirty Years Through Partnering ANALYTICAL METHOD PROCEDURES FOR NERL METHODS 528 (PHENOLS) AND 529 (RDX) 1. Sample collection and preservation. UCMR2 (2006-2009) UCMR2 (2006-2009) UCMR1 (2001-2003) Projected for UCMR2 (2006-2009) UCMR1 (2001-2003) UCMR2 (2006-2009) UCMR1 (2001-2003) Projected forUCMR2 (2006 -2009) Complete anlytical methods for Organotins and Triazine degradation products I 4. Analysis of sample extracts using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). 2. Sample extraction using solid phase extraction techniques. i. 'H Jr (I 3. Extract concentration. 5. Sample data - a chromatogram and mass spectral "fingerprint" of RDX. IMPACT • Safe drinking water is important to every American. Over the next decade, regulatory determinations will be made for at least 10 drinking water contaminants. Reliable occurrence data, collected through UCMR monitoring using analytical methods developed by NERL and TSC, is critical to the regulatory decision making process. 2c Promulgate UCMR2 Promulgate CCL3 -1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Complete analytical Diuron methods for : Linuron 2-methylphenol Diazinon Prometon 2,4-trinitrophenol Fonofos Terbufos 2,4-dichlorophenol Acetochlor perchlorate 2,4,6-trichlorophenol Disulfoton Nitrobenzene 1,2-diphenylhydrazine Complete analytical method for RDX . Promulgate CCL2 Make regulatory determination on 5 drinking water contaminants from CCL1 ,J Drinking water monitoring - begins for UCMR2; Continues through 2009 Make regulatory - determination on 5 additional drinking water contaminants from CCL1 orCCL2 Partnering to Protect Human ------- |