Workshop teaches end users how to screen water samples using bioanalytical cell assays

SCCWRP trained California’s water-quality management community in how to use bioanalytical cell assays to screen water samples for bioactive contaminants during a day-long workshop in June – part of an ongoing effort to facilitate management adoption and routine use of the technology.

The workshop, summarized in a SCCWRP technical report published in July, focused on the technical aspects of bioanalytical cell assays, including where they can be applied and how to evaluate and interpret data. About 28 participants, including multiple SCCWRP member agencies, attended the workshop.

In 2020, California began requiring certain types of recycled water to be screened for bioactive contaminants using two assays: the estrogen receptor assay and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor assay. The workshop covered lessons learned from statewide implementation of these two assays, plus introduced participants to three newer assays.

Five SCCWRP member agencies are required to screen recycled water for indirect potable reuse using bioanalytical cell assays, underscoring the value of providing ongoing training and support to end users.