ASSP Region VIII Virtual Technical Meeting

ASSP Region VIII Virtual Technical Meeting

Understanding the Occurrence of PFAS in Products and Materials

Emerging Risks, Supply Chain Challenges, Product Stewardship, and the Evolving Regulatory Landscape

📅 Thursday, August 13, 2026
🕓 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time
💻 Virtual (Microsoft Teams)
🎓 0.1 ASSP Continuing Education Unit (CEU) – Pending Approval

About This Technical Meeting

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” have become one of today’s most significant environmental, occupational health, and product stewardship challenges. Used for decades in thousands of industrial, commercial, medical, and consumer products, PFAS continue to receive increasing attention as federal, state, and international regulations rapidly evolve.

Join ASSP Region VIII for an engaging virtual technical meeting featuring nationally recognized PFAS expert Sarah Parker, Ph.D., as she explores where PFAS occur, why they have become so widely used, and the complex challenges organizations face as they work to understand product composition, global supply chains, exposure pathways, and emerging regulatory requirements.

Designed for professionals across environmental health and safety, manufacturing, engineering, product stewardship, compliance, procurement, and risk management, this session will provide practical, science-based insights to help organizations better understand today’s PFAS landscape while preparing for tomorrow’s regulatory and business challenges.

Featured Speaker

Sarah Parker, Ph.D.

Senior Managing Scientist
Exponent

Dr. Sarah Parker is a Senior Managing Scientist at Exponent specializing in polymer science, materials chemistry, fluorinated materials (PFAS), product stewardship, supply chain investigations, regulatory compliance, and risk assessment.

She advises manufacturers, consumer product companies, medical device manufacturers, and industrial organizations on PFAS occurrence, product composition, analytical testing, contamination investigations, regulatory compliance, and emerging product stewardship challenges. Her expertise spans numerous industries where fluorinated materials play critical roles in product performance and safety.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Parker was a Senior Researcher at ExxonMobil Research & Engineering. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Harvard University and has become a nationally recognized speaker on PFAS science, regulations, and product stewardship.

Session Overview

PFAS encompass thousands of fluorinated chemicals with unique physical and chemical properties that have made them indispensable in countless industrial, commercial, medical, and consumer applications. As governments around the world rapidly expand reporting requirements and product restrictions, organizations are increasingly challenged to understand where PFAS occur, how they enter products, what information is available throughout complex supply chains, and how evolving regulations may impact operations.

This presentation provides a practical overview of PFAS chemistry, historical and current applications, supply chain complexities, exposure considerations, and the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Attendees will gain valuable insight into why PFAS remain critical for many applications, why identifying and replacing them can be challenging, and what organizations can begin doing today to prepare for increasing regulatory scrutiny and customer expectations.

Learning Objectives

By the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Explain what PFAS are and distinguish between the major classes of fluorinated substances.
• Describe why PFAS have historically been used across industrial, commercial, medical, and consumer products.
• Identify common products and manufacturing processes where PFAS may be intentionally or unintentionally present.
• Recognize the challenges associated with evaluating PFAS throughout complex global supply chains.
• Differentiate between PFAS hazard, exposure potential, and risk.
• Summarize current federal, state, and international regulatory trends affecting PFAS.
• Identify practical strategies organizations can implement to strengthen product stewardship and prepare for future compliance obligations.

Who Should Attend?

This program is designed for:

• Environmental, Health & Safety Professionals
• Industrial Hygienists
• Environmental Professionals
• Manufacturing Leaders
• Engineers
• Product Stewardship Professionals
• Chemical Safety Professionals
• Sustainability Professionals
• Regulatory Affairs Professionals
• Quality Professionals
• Procurement & Supply Chain Professionals
• Risk Management Professionals
• Consultants
• Government Agencies
• Anyone responsible for chemical management, environmental compliance, occupational health, or product safety

Why Attend?

PFAS regulations are changing faster than almost any other area of environmental and product compliance. Organizations that understand where PFAS may exist within their operations and supply chains will be better positioned to reduce risk, improve compliance, respond to customer inquiries, and make informed business decisions.

Whether you’re responsible for workplace safety, environmental compliance, procurement, product design, manufacturing, or corporate sustainability, this webinar will provide practical knowledge you can immediately apply within your organization.

Registration

Reserve your seat today!

👉 Register Here

Registration is free but required. Participants will receive Microsoft Teams meeting information upon registration.

Questions?

For additional information regarding this event, please contact:

Ryan Costello
Deputy Regional Vice President
ASSP Region VIII
Director of Safety & Risk | Sila Services, LLC
📧 rcostello@sila.com

Hosted By

ASSP Region VIII

Serving safety professionals across the Northeastern United States, ASSP Region VIII is committed to advancing the safety profession through high-quality education, professional development, leadership, and collaboration. Our technical meetings bring together industry experts to share practical knowledge and emerging best practices that help protect workers, strengthen organizations, and elevate the profession.