Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: A Preliminary Evaluation of Groundwater Contamination in the Western States

Conference · Tue Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2022

OSTI ID:1879543

Johnson, Carter Daniel ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a manufactured group of chemicals that have been used since the 1940s. PFAS break down very slowly and studies show that exposure to these chemicals may cause negative reproductive effects, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers, and interference with the body’s natural hormones. On June 15, 2022, EPA issued interim updated drinking water health advisories for the two most widely studied PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The concentrations for the health advisory limits are 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) and 0.02 ppt respectively. Because data is often reported in combined PFOA and PFOS concentrations, and for ease of data visualization, concentrations of the two chemicals will be discussed as a single, summed value and will be compared to the combined health advisory limits of 0.024 ppt. Due to the recently published near-zero health advisory limits and the known negative health effects, a map of estimated PFAS groundwater contamination was created using ArcGIS Pro and geostatistical tools to inform the public and determine which regions are most at-risk.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (AU)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1879543
• Report Number(s): INL/EXP-22-68230-Rev000
• Conference Information: Intern Poster Session, INL, 08/11/2022 - 08/11/2022
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Chemical Contaminants
Environmental
GIS
Hydrology
PFOA
PFOS