New York Lab At Forefront Of Search To Find Dangerous PFAS

NYACK, NY — A Nyack business has expanded to cope with increasing knowledge of and concern about the toxic "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, which have deeply contaminated sites around the country including on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of man-made chemicals, including PFOA, PFOS, GenX and many others. PFAS contamination surfaced in the past decade as a public health concern. The toxins don’t break down over time and have been linked to serious health effects including cancer, premature death, asthma, and infertility.

PFAS contamination seems to be ubiquitous. They've been part of products such as firefighting foam, water-repellent fabrics, nonstick pans, waxes, polishes, food packaging, pesticides and more.

"Dubbed 'forever chemicals' for their durability, these substances went unrecognized as pollutants for decades," the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment said in an article in 2020.

Now that is changing; New York, for example, adopted more stringent standards for PFAS contamination in 2020. However, the search for the chemicals isn't easy. New standards require remediation if PFAS levels are higher than 10 parts per trillion.

"One part per trillion is one droplet in an Olympic size pool. The tech and equipment that’s needed is significant," says Michael Beckerich, owner of York Analytical Laboratories in Nyack.

"We are the largest owner-operated environmental lab in the Northeast," Beckerich told Patch.
"Our typical clients are commercial engineers, utilities, transportation companies, school systems. We test for contaminants in soil, wastewater, drinking water, groundwater and the air. We test for things as simple as lead in water or PCBs that went from caulk to groundwater."

In the past decade, as more and more contamination has discovered, the demand for PFAS testing has risen sharply, he said. Two years ago, York Labs bought a $2 million instrumentation system to be able to find those parts per trillion.

"Business went through the roof," Beckerich said. Then, even — or maybe because of — the pandemic, it shifted.

"Since COVID people have been rushing to the suburbs and they’re buying these homes and they’re watching the Mets game," he said. "And right after the ads about mesothelioma they're seeing ads 'are you in danger from firefighter foam?' We started getting calls. 'I live in Greenwich' or 'I live in Purchase and keep hearing about firefighter foam, what does this mean?'"

So the creative chemists and engineers at York designed a new rapid test to detect whether there are harmful levels of the chemical in public water sources, building materials, and common household products.

They were also able to hire people right through the pandemic. "A lot of the young kids are interested," he said. "It's a great meld of having a career and being part of environmental conservation."

The lab moved its headquarters to Nyack from Connecticut under the state's START-UP NY program. It now has a partnership with Rockland Community College.

The issue is rapidly evolving, Beckerich said. "You're going to see more and more concern from public advocacy groups."

SEE ALSO:

• Toxic PFAS Chemicals Found On Long Island — Here's Where
• NYS To Sue Firefighting Foam Manufacturers
  
• Rockland Residents Urge NY To More Cleanup Of 'Forever Chemicals'
• State to Fund Interim Water Supplies for Newburgh
• Long Island Drinking Water Has Most Contaminants In The State