The National Water Quality Program announces a new paper on PFAS in groundwater.
What is already known on this topic?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products, such as fire-fighting foams. The contamination of groundwater with PFAS is a concern because PFAS persist in the environment, PFAS sources are widespread, and some PFAS are known or suspected to be associated with adverse human-health effects.
What is added by this report?
Fourteen PFAS were detected in 254 groundwater samples from the eastern United States. Sixty and twenty percent of public-supply and domestic wells, respectively, contained at least one PFAS detection. Using these data, USGS scientists considered 57 additional chemical and land-use variables, which are known or suspected to be important factors for PFAS occurrence in groundwater. Of these 57 factors, tritium concentration, distance to the nearest fire-training area, percentage of urban land use, and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and volatile organic compounds were the top five predictors of PFAS detections. Results indicate it may be possible to predict PFAS detections in groundwater using existing data sources.
What are the implications for water availability?
PFAS are widespread in groundwater sources used for drinking water in the eastern United States. Because PFAS may have adverse health effects, their presence in drinking water supplies could limit water availability for human use.
For more information on PFAS, contact Peter McMahon or Andrea Tokranov
Citation: McMahon, P.B., Tokranov, A.K., Bexfield, L.M., Lindsey, B.D., Johnson, T.D., Lombard, M.A., Watson, Elise, 2022, Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Groundwater Used as a Source of Drinking Water in the Eastern United States, Environmental Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c04795
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