Scott Coffin

CA State Water Resources Control Board · Drinking Water

As global awareness, science, and policy interventions for plastic escalate, institutions around the world are seeking preventative strategies. Central to this is the need for precise global time series of plastic pollution with which we can assess whether implemented policies are effective, but at present we lack these data. To address this need,...

This training for State Water Board Division of Drinking Water staff provides background on microplastics in drinking water and what the state is doing about it.

Despite decades of research detailing widespread contamination and potential risks of microplastics (synthetic particles < 5mm) to humans and ecosystems by the scientific community, government agencies have made little progress...

Presentation for the 5th International Microplastics Symposium 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. Hosted by the National Institute of Environmental Research. https://www.youtube.com/@niernier0 https://t.co/7ym6SQz4Vf

Guest lecture for the California State University of Sacramento's Geology and Environmental Studies Colloquium (December, 2022). Recording available here: https://csus.zoom.us/rec/play/j3pgDw_44AV2P9QRkyo2CQRLmnke-4M7dH315qVMVZQ2Nxt0uUoyGie9FbLp5Y29T2qJ08r0c3GLK9d5.wiUSFRz-dpsVn-2i?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=4TkOc4gaSmG2ie36NDRsQQ.167043687744...

1. Explanation of the principle of handling microplastics in marine organisms 2. Preventive and repressive measures against microplastic pollution 3. Microplastics Handling Strategies in California

Journal website link: www.frontiersin.org

Overview of California's efforts to address PFAS contamination in Water Resources. Recording: https://youtu.be/JPI0hzrdny8

Microplastics are a persistent and ubiquitous environmental contaminant in global marine and surface waters. Microplastics can harm wildlife who ingest them by inhibiting food assimilation and translocating into tissue. Differences in monitoring techniques as well as particle types used for toxicity experiments make direct comparisons of lab and fi...

Keynote presentation at CleanUp22 conference in Adelaide, Australia. Recording of presentation: https://youtu.be/rebido8dPx0

Slides accompanying September 7th State Water Board Meeting considering adoption of a proposed Policy Handbook for microplastics. Reporting on this presentation from CalMatters and SF Chronicle: https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/09/california-microplastics-testing-drinking-water-sources/ https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/California...

There is definitive evidence that microplastics, defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, are ubiquitous in the environment and can cause harm to aquatic organisms. These findings have prompted legislators and environmental regulators to seek out strategies for managing risk. However, microplastics are also an incredibly diverse contami...

Assessing microplastics risk to aquatic ecosystems has been limited by lack of holistic exposure data and poor understanding of biological response thresholds. Here we take advantage of two recent advances, a toxicological meta-analysis that produced biotic response thresholds and a method to quantitatively correct exposure data for sampling method...

To assess the potential risk of microplastic exposure to humans and aquatic ecosystems, reliable toxicity data is needed. This includes a more complete foundational understanding of microplastic toxicity and better characterization of the hazards they may present. To expand this understanding, an international group of experts was convened in 2020–...

Microplastic particles (MPs) are ubiquitous across a wide range of aquatic habitats but determining an appropriate level of risk management is hindered by a poor understanding of environmental risk. Here, we introduce a risk management framework for aquatic ecosystems that identifies four critical management thresholds, ranging from low regulatory...

Throughout the past decade, many studies have reported adverse effects in biota following microplastic exposure. Yet, the field is still emerging as the current understanding of microplastic toxicity is limited. At the same time, recent legislative mandates have required environmental regulators to devise strategies to mitigate microplastic polluti...

Microplastics have been documented in drinking water, but their effects on human health from ingestion, or the concentrations at which those effects begin to manifest, are not established. Here, we report on the outcome of a virtual expert workshop conducted between October 2020 and October 2021 in which a comprehensive review of mammalian hazard s...

Keynote Presentation for ECEC22. Concerns regarding widespread contamination of microplastics prompted the California legislature in 2018 to pass legislation aimed at monitoring and managing the human health impacts in drinking water and impacts to coastal ecosystems. These laws (Senate Bills 1422 and 1263) require the State Water Resources Control...

Participants in this session will learn about the state-of-the-science in assessing contamination and risks of microplastics to humans and aquatic ecosystems, as well as California’s plans to manage and mitigate microplastics pollution.

Assessing microplastics risk to aquatic ecosystems has been limited by lack of holistic exposure data and poor understanding of biological response thresholds. Here we take advantage of two recent advances, a toxicological meta-analysis that produced biotic response thresholds and a method to quantitatively correct exposure data for sampling method...

THE ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM - "The Debate: Can We Make Plastic Sustainable?" PLASTICS show up in almost every part of our economy, from medicine to transportation to water infrastructure. But the material’s benefits have come at a great environmental cost. Each year, close to 10 million tons of plastic is released into the oceans. The United States, w...

News about the United Nations Environment Assembly agreeing to negotiate a (long overdue) binding global treaty over the next 2 years on plastics is inspiring. From plastics' impacts on air, water, climate, and health throughout all stages of its lifecycle, negotiators will have a lot of factors to consider. The Environmental Law Institute invite...

Dr. Scott Coffin, Ph.D. provides an overview of regulatory actions and research related to microplastics at the APEC Workshop on Micro- and Nanoplastics in Marine Debris on December 14th, 2021. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-OE9FcJZ64 Abstract: Recent findings of microplastics in drinking water prompted the California legislature to pas...

On December 8, 2021, the Food Forum held a webinar to review the state of the science and research gaps related to plastics and microplastics in food and water. Invited speakers discussed the state of the science, discussed human health impacts, policy and regulatory implications, and consumer risk perceptions of microplastics in food and water. A...

Plastic pollution has been studied since the 1960’s, with most of the research focusing on marine and freshwater environments. Recently, impacts of microplastics have been documented in the terrestrial biosphere, including in humans, ecosystems, and agriculture. This presentation provides a brief overview of recent scientific findings regarding imp...

Dr. Scott Coffin's presentation for the November 17, 2021 State Water Resources Control Board Workshop. Recording here: https://youtu.be/XEK0AV5RdLI?t=666

Presentation video: https://youtu.be/ymPMYkcmgDg Microplastics are one of the most diverse and complicated classes of environmental contaminants. The Microplastics contaminant suite includes particles with thousands of unique polymer types, ranging in size from nanometers to millimeters, a continuum of shapes, densities, known and unknown associat...

Video of presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbzgKWPBWew Recent findings of microplastics in drinking water prompted concern amongst scientists and policymakers due to the potential harm towards humans. In 2018, the California legislature passed Senate Bill 1422 requiring the California State Water Resources Control Board to (1) define mi...

Preliminary human health risk assessment of microplastics in drinking water.

This presentation summarizes the findings of the expert workshop on the human health effects of microplastics through drinking water. Additional details can be found here: https://www.sccwrp.org/about/research-areas/additional-research-areas/trash-pollution/microplastics-health-effects-webinar-series/

Update regarding implementation of Senate Bill 1422- microplastics in drinking water. Includes preliminary findings from health effects workshop, method development, and provides some insights into sampling and monitoring plan.

Microplastics is one of the most diverse and complicated contaminant suites- encompassing 6 orders of magnitude in size (nanometer to millimeter), hundreds of unique polymer types, a continuum of shapes, densities, associated contaminants, and more. Despite there being >200 independent toxicity studies on >150 unique species, many fundamental quest...

This presentation was part of the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation's Washington Round Table on Public Policy. Report Link: https://rnrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/RRJV36N2.pdf Abstract: Microplastics are found virtually everywhere, including marine and terrestrial environments, drinking water, food, air, and human tissue. Their pervasiv...

At the end of 2020, State Water Board staff were tasked with gathering information on the financial impacts of COVID-19 to agencies and households throughout California. The final dataset covered a statistically significant sample of agencies throughout the state, gathering both qualitative and quantitative information on agency finances and custom...

Plastic is a persistent organic pollutant that is becoming increasingly more abundant in the environment, causing concern amongst scientists and regulators due to the potential harm towards humans and ecosystems. The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) is addressing these concerns by taking substantive steps towards regulating m...

Public concern over the environmental and public health impacts of the emerging contaminant class "microplastics" has recently prompted government agencies to consider mitigation efforts. Microplastics do not easily fit within traditional risk-based regulatory frameworks because their persistence and extreme diversity (of size, shape, and chemical...

https://www.grac.org/events/366/ Plastic is becoming increasingly more abundant in the environment, causing public concern for potential harm towards humans. Microplastics were found in drinking water samples around the world in 2017, which prompted the California Legislature to investigate the issue further. In 2018, California passed Senate Bill...

Presentation slides for 90-minute guest lecture at UC Berkeley's Environmental Health and Development course in the Science, Policy & Management department, taught by Dr. Simona Balan. Topics include microplastics risks to humans, aquatic ecosystems, food security impacts, endocrine disrupting chemicals, bioplastics, policy, regulations, and greenw...

The California Assembly ESTM Committee held an informational hearing on microplastics' impacts to humans and the environment. This presentation covers the State Water Board's efforts regarding microplastics in drinking water. Recording of hearing available here: https://www.assembly.ca.gov/media/assembly-environmental-safety-toxic-materials-commit...

The State Water Resources Control Board, in collaboration with the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, is developing standardizing methods to monitor for microplastics in drinking water and other matrices to fulfill the legislative requirements of Senate Bill 1422 and Senate Bill 1263. This presentation includes an overview of conce...

Science to Policy: California's Path Towards Microplastics Regulations

Rationale: In 2018, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 1422 which requires the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to take action on microplastics in drinking water, starting with defining the emerging contaminant class by July 2020, then adopting a standardized methodology and providing accreditation for laboratories...

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants that are applied in a wide range of consumer products, including ski products. The present study investigated the neuro-dopamine (DA) and cellular steroid hormone homeostasis of wild Bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from a skiing area in Norway (Trondheim), in relation to tissue concentrations of PFAS....

The California State Water Resources Control Board is tasked with assessing the presence and risks of microplastics in drinking water, as well as developing a standardized method and accrediting laboratories. This presentation provides an update on the Division of Drinking Water's efforts to accomplish these tasks.

Microplastics are an important environmental issue that is very prevalent right now. This panel has both a science side and a policy side. Panelists will talk about microplastics being found throughout the food chain and how they affect the environment, as well as potential concerns for human health. We will also discuss the policy work being done...

In 2018, the California Legislature adopted Senate Bill 1422, which requires the California State Water Resources Control Board to develop plans for measuring microplastic particles in drinking water by 2021. SCCWRP is convening a Microplastics Health Effects Workshop in which an international group of experts will convene to identify the primary p...

Update on the State Water Board's efforts to mitigate impacts from microplastics. Topics include method development efforts, human health effects, water treatment efficacies, stormwater occurrence and treatment, and laboratory accreditation.

Recently, microplastics have been found in air, drinking water, and food, prompting concern over potential direct impacts to human health. Microplastics induce both particle-based toxicities at the cellular level, as well as act as transfer mechanisms for chemicals. Significant knowledge gaps remain regarding exposure, plastic-associated chemicals,...

Microplastics and Human Exposure: Understanding Measurement Challenges and Data Gaps Session Chair: Gina Solomon, Public Health Institute Abstract: While it has been known for decades that microplastics are ubiquitous, persistent contaminants in marine environments, recent studies have focused on human exposure to microplastics, finding microplast...

Plastic pollution has been studied since the 1960’s, with most of the research focusing on marine and freshwater environments. Recently, impacts of microplastics have been documented in the terrestrial biosphere, including in humans, ecosystems, and agriculture. Awareness of potential direct harm to humans through food, water, and air has prompted...

Soil is a primary sink for plastics, but the influence of microplastics as a carrier on terrestrial cycling of persistent contaminants is poorly understood as compared to aquatic systems. Studies to date have disregarded the potential fact that microplastics are generally contaminated before their entry into soil. In this study, earthworm Eisenia f...

Plastic is becoming increasingly more abundant in the environment, causing concern amongst scientists and regulators due to the potential harm towards humans. In 2018, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 1422 which requires the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to adopt a definition of microplastics in dri...

As the amount of plastic in the environment has expanded, so has the number of legislative solutions intended to reduce that spread. This trend has been very apparent in the State of California, which has enacted several policies to reduce inputs to the environment, including a statewide ban on carry-out plastic bags at grocery stores, a law requir...

Microplastics are pervasive in the environment, with biological communities exposed to microplastics particles on a continuous basis. Although health risks of microplastics exposure are poorly understood, microplastics have the potential to bioaccumulate through food webs, to serve as an exposure pathway for other contaminants that have stuck to th...

Presentation covers proposed definition of 'microplastics in drinking water' as required by Senate Bill 1422. Comments received during 30-day public comment period are reviewed, as well as rationale for revising the definition in response to comments. State Water Board unanimously adopted proposed definition. More details on program webpage: https:...

June 3,2020 updated version of Staff Report detailing rationale for definition of 'microplastics in drinking water' following response to public comments. Notable updates include rationale for lowering size limits from 1 micron to 1 nanometer, further evidence for inclusion of biodegradable polymers, description of size-based nomenclature, and refi...

Senate Bill 1422 requires the California State Water Resources Control Board to define 'microplastics in drinking water' by July 1, 2020. State Water Board staff prepared a proposed definition and staff report to be considered for adoption by the Board. This presentation covers the principal science and criteria considered in developing the propose...

Staff report detailing the rationale for the proposed definition of 'microplastics in drinking water' to be adopted by the California State Water Board.

Recently, plastic is becoming increasingly more widespread and abundant in the environment and has become a cause for concern amongst scientists, environmentalists, and regulators due to potential harm towards ecosystems and humans. Two recent bills signed into law by the California Legislature; SB 1263 and SB 1422, require the State to assess and...

Advanced oxidation using UV and hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) has been widely applied to degrade contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in wastewater for water reuse. This study investigated the degradation kinetics of mixed CECs by UV/H2O2 under variable H2O2 doses, including bisphenol A, estrone, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and triclosan. Reverse osmos...

Recently, plastic is becoming exponentially more abundant in the environment, causing concern among scientists, environmentalists, and regulators due to it's extreme persistence and potential for harm towards ecosystems and humans. Two bills recently signed into California law require the California EPA to assess and mitigate risks caused by microp...

Recently, plastic is becoming increasingly more widespread and abundant in the environment and has become a cause for concern amongst scientists, environmentalists, and regulators due to potential harm towards ecosystems and humans. Two recent bills signed into law by the California Legislature; SB 1263 and SB 1422, require the State to assess and...

This poster provides a broad overview of the state of the science on microplastics, including human and ecological health impacts, occurrence, sources and pathways into the environment, current and upcoming regulations, mitigation strategies, and more.

This one-hour presentation on my work as an environmental researcher was aimed at a group of students participating in the "Green Focus" youth program coordinated by the California Center for Civic Participation.

ABSTRACT: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals resistant to heat, water, and oil. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, PFAS have been widely used in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s and are still produced today. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) a...

As one type of the most widespread and long-lasting anthropogenic contaminants, microplastics have become a global environmental concern. While numerous studies have demonstrated effects of micro-plastics on aquatic organisms, the potential influence on terrestrial faunas is relatively less known, even though soil is a primary recipient and sink of...

Azole fungicides are one class of the most extensively applied current-use pesticides. Tebuconazole is a common azole fungicide that has been frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems, thus raising concerns about its ecological safety. However, adverse effects of tebuconazole remain largely unknown, especially with regard to endocrine function in a...

Low-ˆow estuaries that contain a high abundance of “macro-sized” (>4.75 mm) plastic may pose a risk to aquatic life from leaching of plastic-associated constituents and adsorbed contaminants. Plastic samples from the North Paciÿc Gyre, corresponding UV-irradiated virgin plastic, and non-irradiated virgin plastic counterparts were incubated in saltw...

Plastic is ingested by over 100 bird species and 40 fish species. Once ingested, plastic may release endocrine-disrupting plastic additives in the animal; however, amounts transferred are poorly characterized. We exposed 16 commonly ingested plastic items to fish and seabird laboratory gut mimic models using the digestive enzyme pepsin at pH 2 and...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu6Jhit4TAA UCR WaterSense NSF IGERT fellows collaborated with the UCR Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts to show the water cycle and give tips on how to protect one of Earth's most precious resources. This film covers: how much water we use; the water cycle; the Santa Ana River ecosystem; water purification; plastic...

Full Video here: https://vimeo.com/342078338 Scott Coffin presents, "Plastic as a Vector for Pollutants in Marine and Estuarine Environments" as part of his public dissertation defense for the completion of his Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology at the University of California, Riverside. Scott Coffin completed his dissertation work in Dr. Daniel S...

Plastic is increasing in abundance in nearly every possible aquatic environment worldwide. Once in an aqueous environment, plastic can release estrogenic additives and toxic sorbed contaminants to biota via leaching and ingestion. Ultra-violet (UV) radiation and saltwater can enhance the desorption of additives and contaminants. Additionally, plast...

Awarded Best Contribution to conference for presentation entitled, "Fish and Seabird Gut Conditions Enhance Desorption of Estrogenic Chemicals from Commonly-Ingested Plastic Items." Conference was held at Conference Centre Monte Verità in Ascona, Switzerland.

Plastic debris is an emerging worldwide threat to marine biota. Marine species may face unique challenges in low-flow estuarine systems with a high abundance of "macro-sized" (> 4.75 mm) plastic due to the leaching of constituents and adsorbed contaminants. To simulate this leaching process, plastic samples recovered from the North Pacific Gyre alo...

This study investigated the significant influence of HCO3− on the degradation of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) during nitrate photolysis at 254 nm for water reuse applications. The second-order rate constants for the reactions between selected contaminants with carbonate radical (CO3•−) were determined at pH = 8.8 and T = 20 °C: estrone (...

The degradation kinetics and cytotoxicity of two commonly detected contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), diclofenac and triclosan, in UV/H2O2 systems were investigated in this study. The second-order rate constants of hydroxyl radical (•OH) with diclofenac (k•OH,diclofenac) and triclosan (k•OH,triclosan) varied at different reaction pH (5.3-8.5)...

Plastic debris is an emerging worldwide threat to marine biota. Low-flow estuarine systems with a high abundance of “macro-sized” (>5 mm) plastic may present unique challenges to marine species due to the leaching of contaminants. To simulate this leaching process, plastic samples recovered from the North Pacific Gyre (NPG) along with UV-irradiated...

Diuron is a herbicide used in agricultural, urban settings and also as an antifouling agent. Recent studies have indicated sub-lethal responses of diuron in the endocrine system of fish and amphibians. Given the potential of climate change to also alter fish endocrinology, the combination of environmental stressors with diuron may contribute to its...

Calculating risk from seafood exposure to persistent organic pollutants continues to be problematic as estimates of exposure from diet require extensive monitoring of fish species and limited assessments of bioavailability from sediments where the contaminants tend to reside. Previous studies in our laboratory utilized a laboratory-based isotope di...