Cache Environmental Laboratories, P.C.

Awards Issued Prior to January 20, 2025, Were Funded Under Previous Administrations and May Not Reflect the Priorities and Policies of the Current Administration. Per and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) Are Chemically and Biologically Resistant Organic Compounds That Are Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Highly Toxic. Owing to Their Widespread Contamination of Public Drinking Water Supplies, on April 10, 2024, the Epa Established National Drinking Water Standards for Six Pfas Compounds Consistently Detected in Public Drinking Water Systems. All Regulated Drinking Water Facilities Must Come Into Full Compliance With the New National Pfas Concentration Standards by April 10, 2027.BEYOND Direct Human Consumption of Pfas-contaminated Drinking Water, the Use of Pfas- Impacted Rural Water Resources to Meet Livestock Drinking Water Demands Has Led to Numerous Cases of Agricultural Product Contamination (e.g., Tainted Dairy Products) as Well as Growing Public Concern Over Fish, Meat and Poultry Quality. Similarly, Use of Pfas-contaminated Crop Irrigation Water Has Not Only Increased Pollutant Levels in Rural Public Drinking Water Supplies (e.g., Groundwater) But Has Also Resulted in Soil Quality Deterioration Further Exacerbating Human Exposure to These Toxic Pollutants.the Focus of the Current STTR Phase Ii Scientific Research Program Is the Development and Commercial Deployment of the Biochar-based Electrochemical Impedance Pfas Detector Technology. the Ability to Reliably Measure Pfas Levels at the Picomolar Concentrations Using a Portable, Low-cost Pfas Detection Device Facilitates Actionable Decision-making and Allows Rural Water Stakeholders to: 1) Rapidly Detect and Quantify the Concentration of Pfas Chemicals in Surface Water, Groundwater and Reclaimed Wastewater Resources, 2) Enhance Protection of Agricultural Product Quality From Potentially Pfas-contaminated Water Supplies and 3) Generate Time-sensitive Data Needed to Support Pfas-sensitive Watershed Management Decisions.