Please join the Laboratory Practices Committee for lunch and a half-day of presentations focused on PFAS! Presentations will cover PFAS basics, sampling, analysis and data interpretation, and the future of PFAS.
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Ashley Pifer is Garver’s Water Quality Practice Leader and Dr. Rick Huggins is Garver’s Sr. Project Manager for the Colorado Water Team. PFAS is a widespread environmental contaminant, and as regulations develop, we need to measure PFAS in many different types of samples, from water to solids to fish tissue. This presentation provides a brief history of PFAS and regulatory activity at the federal and state level before discussing methods for analyzing PFAS in different matrices and how to select appropriate methods for individual projects.
Riley Mulhern is an Associate Environmental Engineer at Brown and Caldwell with extensive experience conducting PFAS sampling and laboratory analysis. He received his PhD in
Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. He supports a variety of private and municipal clients in water quality monitoring, data analysis, and decision support. Dr. Mulhern will present the “dos” and “don’ts” of PFAS sampling in both aqueous and solid environmental matrices, including drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, soils and biosolids, and others based on existing state guidelines, the latest EPA methods, and academic studies.
Sarah Choyke, Ph.D. is the Technical Director at Eurofins Environment Testing in Arvada, Colorado. She has over 15 years of experience analyzing emerging contaminants in the environment with expertise in field sampling, sample preparation, and mass spectrometry. PFAS, also known as “Forever Chemicals,” are contaminants of emerging concern found almost everywhere in the environment. Dr. Choyke will provide details on the status of the EPA Method 1633, including successes and challenges when analyzing PFAS in complex matrices like biosolid and wastewater. In addition, she will discuss other analytical techniques that may help to identify different sources of PFAS in the environment.
Kelsey Barton works as a per and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) toxicologist in the Toxicology and Environmental Epidemiology Office at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). At CDPHE, Kelsey's work primarily focuses on risk assessment, risk communication, and public health surveillance projects related to PFAS exposure in Colorado.
David Dani is the Emerging Contaminants Coordinator for the CDPHE. Previously, he oversaw training for Colorado’s Safe Drinking Water Program, was lab manager at CU's drinking water optimization lab, and led projects in Peru and Nepal with Engineers Without Borders. Their presentation covers current and future federal and state actions to address PFAS. They will talk about data trends from statewide sampling efforts and resources available to support testing and impacted communities.