Environmental Chemistry Laboratory

The Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (ECL) provides DTSC and other boards and departments within Cal/EPA with expertise and laboratory capacity in the areas of analytical chemistry and biochemistry. Scientists identify and measure concentrations of toxic chemicals in many different media including air, water, soil, hazardous waste streams, and biological or human tissues. These efforts require application or adaptation of existing procedures or the development of new analytical methods.

• ECL Contacts
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• List of Publications   
• Additional On-line Resources 

• Take a look inside DTSC’s Environmental Chemistry Lab [Video]
• DTSC celebrates the IYC at it’s Berkeley Lab [Video]
• Encouraging the Next Generation of Science [Video]

The Environmental Chemistry Laboratory provides scientific leadership for DTSC in analytical and environmental chemistry to protect public health and the environment from adverse effects of chemicals.

Nationally recognized scientific leadership in the analytical and environmental chemistry of toxic chemicals and their green chemistry alternatives.

Scientific Integrity
Workplace Diversity
Intellectual Honesty
Courtesy
Respect

ECL hosts bi-weekly seminars on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 2-3 in Berkeley.  If you have something to contribute to the scientific community and are interested in being a guest speaker, or if you would like additional information, contact Kathleen Jones-Tucker at ktucker@dtsc.ca.gov.

2008 Schedule

2009 Schedule

2010 Schedule

2011 Schedule

2012 Schedule

In an effort to encourage an exchange of knowledge, whenever possible, ECL Presentation materials are posted below for viewing.

2009 Presentations

• January 14, 2009 - Thu Quach, Northern California Cancer Center "Breast Cancer Risk in California Nail Salon Workers" 
  
• January 28, 2009 - Suhash Harwani, Ph.D., Association of Public Health Laboratories Fellows, "Complexation of Cations, Anions, and Organic Substrates using Modified Cyclodextrins"
  
• February 11, 2009 - Claudia Polsky, Department of Toxic Substances Control, "Detoxifying California: What's Your Plan?"
  
• February 25, 2009 - Ki Chang Ahn, Ph.D.,  U.C. Davis, "Immunoassay for Monitoring Human and Environmental Exposure to Personal Care Products..."
  
• March 25, 2009 - Simon Jones, Agilent Technologies, "Techniques for Making Your GC Analysis..."
  
• April 22, 2009 - John Karachewski, Ph.D., PG, CHG, Department of Toxic Substances Control, "Geology of the San Francisco Bay Region"
  
• May 13, 2009 - Claudio Sorrentino, Department of Toxic Substances Control, "AB289:  Looking for Answers:  The Case of TBHP, an "Alternative" Flame Retardant"
  
• May 27, 2009 - June-Soo Parks, Ph.D., Department of Toxic Substances Control, Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, "The Exposure of California Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus) to PBDEs and New Alternative BFRs"
  
  
• November 03, 2009 - Linda Linderholm, Ph.D. Candidate, Stockholm University, "Human Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants in West Africa: An Individual Specific Temporal Trend Study from Guinea-Bissau"
  

  2010 Presentations

• March 23, 2010 - Eunha Hoh, Ph.D., San Diego State University, School of Public Health, "Analysis of Untargeted Organic Chemicals of Interest in Environmental Samples Using GC×GC-TOF Mass Spectrometry"
  
• May 12, 2010 - MiaoMiao Wang, Department of Toxic Substances Control - Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, "Analysis of 12 PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) in serum samples using Online Solid Phase Extraction"
• August 25, 2010 - Wei Zou, Ph.D., Department of Toxic Substances Control - Environmental Chemistry Laboratory , "A Comprehensive Mass Spectrometry - Based Metabolomics Workflow in Biomarker Discovery"

2011 Presentations

• January 26, 2011 - Timothy Borrego, Agilent Technologies, Life Sciences & Chemical Analysis, "Advantages of GC/MS/MS"
  
• February 09, 2011 - Mary A. Kaiser, Dupont Corporate Center for Analytical Sciences, "Highly Fluorinated Organic Compounds: Analytical Measurements in the Environment and in the Work-Place"
  
• March 09, 2011 - Bruce Godfrey, Ph.D. and Stefan D’Angona, Curtis & Tompkins Laboratories, "Quantitative Leak Testing For Soil Gas Wells Using A Commercially Available Helium Tracer Shroud" and "Soil Gas Sampling with a Helium Leak Detection Shroud"
  
• March 23, 2011 - Mahdi Abu-Omar, Ph.D. Purdue University, "Green Catalysis for a Sustainable Future"
• April 13, 2011- Monica Danon-Schaffer, Ph.D., P.Eng., Wardrop, A Tetra Tech Company, "PBDE Problem of E-waste in Landfills"
• April 27, 2011 - Sabrina Crispo Smith, Ph.D., Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, "Isotopic Signatures of Porewater Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in Santa Monica Basin Sediments: A Method for Determining DIC Sources"
• May 11, 2011 - Bruce LaBelle, Ph.D., Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, "Marine Debris Plastics"
• June 08, 2011 - Shyamala Mani, Ph.D., MPH, Program Director, Waste and Resources Management (WaRM) Center for Environment Education (CEE), India, "BFRs in E-wastes"
• June 22, 2011 - Roy Gerona, Ph.D., Department of Laboratory Medicine San Francisco General Hospital/University of California, San Francisco, "Solving Poison Control Center Intoxication Cases Using Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry"
• August 10, 2011 - Peter Stonebraker, Ph.D. UC Berkeley Extension Instructor, "Risk Assessment and Emerging Contaminants"
• September 14, 2011 - Carl Cranor, Ph.D. Department of Philosophy - University of California, "Legally Poisoned: How the Law Puts Us at Risk from Toxicants"
• October 12, 2011 - Martin Mulvihill, Ph.D., Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry School of Public Health, "Arsenic Detection Using Nanoparticles"
• October 26, 2011 - Anna Kärrman, Ph.D., MTM Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, "Structural Isomers of Perfluorinated Compounds, Useful Tool for Source Elucidation"
• November 10, 2011 - Anna Rotander, Ph.D. - MTM Research Centre, School of Science and Technology Örebro University, "Studying POPs and Plastic Debris in Ocean Gyres"

2012 Presentations

• January 11, 2012 - Eva Agus Ph.D., U.C. Berkeley, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department "Odorous Compounds in Municipal Wastewater Effluent and Potable Water Reuse Systems"
• January 25, 2012 - Jacob Tropea, Rolf Kern, Demo Chemist, Loren Olsen, Sr. Chemist, AB Sciex - Northern California & Nevada Region "Part 1. New Tools for Identifying Problematic Compounds and Part 2. Introduction to Metabolite Identification Strategies"
• February 08,2012 - Robert Letcher, Ph.D., Environment Canada and Carleton University "New and Emerging Organophosphorus and Brominated Flame Retardants and Degradation Products in Herring Gulls and Their Ecosystems from the Great Lakes"
• March, 14, 2012 - Ted Webster, Ph.D., MPH, Environmental Health Boston University School of Public Health, DSc - "Exposure to PBDEs from Product to Person"
• March 15, 2012 - Claudio Erratico, Ph.D. , UBC-Vancouver, Pharmaceutical Sciences - "PBDEs by Rat and Human Liver Microsomes"

ECL Reports summarize work on projects in support of DTSC initiatives.  The following ECL Reports are available for viewing:

Earlier ECL (HML Reports)

E-waste Report - "Determination of Regulated Elements in Seven Types of Discarded Consumer Electronic Products"

SB20 Report - "Determination of Regulated Elements in Discarded Laptop Computers, LCD Monitors, Plasma TVs and LCD TVs"

2008 Reports

ECL Report 2008-01 "Mobile Laboratory Support to Site Mitigation:  Simplified Method for Measuring Toxaphene Contamination by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry with Selective Ion Monitoring"

ECL Report 2008-02 "Contract Laboratory Audit Report: Test America"

ECL Report 2008-03 "Mobile Laboratory Screening Method for Phthalate Esters in Children's Toys by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry"

ECL Report 2008-04 "Hazardous Waste Analysis of Copper Azole, Alkaline Copper Quaternary, and Creosote Preserved Wood"

ECL Report 2008-05 "Serum Concentrations of Organochlorine Pesticides and PCB Congeners in Pregnant California Women, 1959-1967"

2009 Reports

ECL Report 2009-01 "Hydroxylated Metabolites of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in California Wild Birds"

ECL Report 2009-02 "Metabolic Fate of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in California Kestrel Blood"

ECL Report 2009-03 "Analysis of Methamphetamine on Wipes by GC/MS-SIM Mode or GC/MS/MS Spectrometry"

ECL Report 2009-04 (Part 1, Part 2) "Contract Laboratory Audit Report - Advanced Technology Laboratories"

Using state-of-the-art instrumentation and methods, ECL serves as California's reference laboratory for analysis of toxic chemicals in soils, water, wastes, materials, and products that may cause adverse effects on public health and the environment.

ECL provides scientific leadership in the analytical and environmental chemistry aspects of green chemistry and technology.

ECL provides technical support in analytical and environmental chemistry to DTSC Programs at all stages of their projects, in close coordination with the project manager and other project team members, meeting the expected timeframes and data quality objectives.

ECL carries out broad-scale and focused biomonitoring and environmental monitoring studies, with internal and collaborative work, to produce peer review quality data that results in actions to reduce exposures that may cause adverse effects to public health or the environment.  EC targets existing and emerging chemicals that may cause exposure to sensitive populations and ecological receptors.

ECL provides DTSC and its stakeholders with analytical and environmental chemistry information to provide a scientific foundation for decision-making processes in protecting public health and the environment from adverse effects of chemicals.  ECL proactively identifies, assesses, and generates data on existing and emerging chemicals of concern in California.

ECL supplies analytical and environmental chemistry data and technical information to support the environmentally responsible use and management of chemicals in California, linking potential sources from sites, wastestreams, products, and materials, with exposure levels and trends, with exposure pathways, and with assessments of the effectiveness of regulatory, pollution prevention, and other chemical exposure intervention efforts.

ECL provides mobile laboratory and field instrumental capabilities extending advanced methodologies into the field to support emergency response and field program projects with timely, accurate data and information.