PFAS: An Emerging Contaminant

You may not be familiar with the term poly- and per-fluroalkylated substances, or PFAS, but you have come into contact with them. And now, communities are becoming aware of the potential negative effects of PFAS on human health, and how improvements to municipal drinking water systems as well as site remediation services can help reduce exposure to these compounds.

PFAS are a large group of man-made complex substances that have been used in many industrial and consumer products such as waterproof clothing, carpets and upholstery, microwave popcorn bags, non-stick pans, fire-fighting foams and even personal care products such as detergents and dental floss. Manufacturing of PFAS stopped in May 2000, but their residual effects are still felt today due to their persistent nature. Major sources of PFAS into the environment include:

• Fire training/Fire response Sites and Airports: use of aqueous firefighting foams (AFFF) for training and emergency response
• Landfills: leachate as a result of waste disposal of PFAS containing materials
• Wastewater treatment plants/biosolids: combined sewer overflows (CSOs), treated effluent discharges, and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs)

Why are municipalities concerned? PFAS have been internationally documented in sediments, surface water, groundwater, wildlife, and human blood. Lab research on animals has documented links to numerous negative health effects including cancer, reproductive health, infant growth/ development, thyroid function, immune system issues, and liver damage.

Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), cleanup recommendations, treatment technologies, and evaluation of PFAS safety based on human health and the environment are continually evolving. To date, most PFAS treatment has been focused on the treatment of PFAS in liquid or water, although there is also recent development of remediation technologies for PFAS in soils or solids.

What can municipalities do to address this growing concern? Some are proactively addressing soil and groundwater affected by PFAS by turning to licensed environmental consultants such as BETA for assistance in remediation and treatment.

If you are interested in learning more about how BETA can assist your community in addressing PFAS, reach out today.