Opportunity: Total N-nitrosamine and 7 Individual Nitrosamines

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Research Triangle Park (RTP) in Durham, North Carolina intends to establish a sole source Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) under authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.302-1, Other Than Full and Open Competition Procedures and FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, with Stanford University for the procurement of total N-nitrosamine analysis and quantitative analysis of seven nitrosamines. EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) has a need to use total N-nitrosamine analysis and quantitative analysis of seven nitrosamines to understand water contaminants. Understanding those water contaminants, including disinfection byproducts and contaminants of emerging concern, that pose the greatest risks to human and ecological health will allow risk management and remediation efforts to focus on solutions that provide the greatest reduction in risk. Stanford University has developed a method, based upon a previous method for recreational waters, to ensure adequacy of the extraction procedure, to avoid interference and confounding from contamination, to enhance solubility and to avoid potential interference by S-nitrosothiols and nitrite. This new method incorporates innovations that remove confounding by both S-nitrosothiols and nitrite. Removal of nitrite involves a two-step procedure. One step occurs before and one after the reaction to destroy potential interference by S-nitrosothiols. Development of this innovative method for quantitation of total nitrosamines required assessment with a number of chemicals similar in structure to the nitrosamines to ensure that the method was indeed specific to nitrosamines. This improved methodology decreases the amount of mercury chloride required to conduct the assay, decreasing the amount of hazardous waste generated. The procedure has been optimized to allow concentration factors necessary to detect the levels of these compounds expected in source water and drinking water samples. Stanford University is the only source that has the necessary total nitrosamine assay and is proficient in the conduct of this analysis. Although this methodology has published in the open, peer-reviewed literature, another source with the necessary expertise is not currently available. Having the individual nitrosamines measured in the same laboratory that is conducting the total nitrosamine analyses facilitates the ability to correlate the two sets of results. No solicitation or Request for Quote (RFQ) is available for this procurement. Nevertheless, any firm that believes it is capable of meeting the EPA requirements described herein may submit a response; which, if received within ten (10) calendar days of the date of this announcement, will be reviewed for consideration. Responses to this posting must be submitted in writing via e-mail only. A determination not to compete the described requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Federal Government. Any questions or comments should be directed via e-mail to Harold Day at day.harold@epa.gov. No telephone calls will be accepted.