The U.S. Department of Defense released data in May that showed high levels of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid), PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonate), and other PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the areas near military bases in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
The detections were found near Whiting Field Naval Air Station, Florida; Camp Grayling Army Airfield, Michigan; Willow Grove Naval Air Station, Pennsylvania; Mechanicsburg Naval Inventory Control Point, Pennsylvania; Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, Washington; Joint Base Lewis-McChord — Yakima Training Ground, Washington; and Bremerton Naval Base, Washington.
PFAS have been confirmed in the groundwater of nearly 400 military installations and are suspected to be present at hundreds of other installations.
DOD installations are required to provide water filters or connect nearby residents with public water supplies if PFAS levels exceed 70 parts per trillion, an advisory level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA is expected to lower the advisory level for PFOA and PFOS in the coming months and set advisory levels for two other PFAS commonly found on military installations. The EPA has also pledged to set a mandatory drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS by the end of 2023.
Click here to read the DOD data.
NGWA has long been an industry leader in providing PFAS research, education, and resources to the public and scientific communities. In 2017, NGWA published Groundwater and PFAS: State of Knowledge and Practice, which was one of the first PFAS guidance documents to be released. It can be found at NGWA.org/PFAS, which is a complete resource center about the groundwater contaminants featuring a FAQs document, a top-10 facts sheet, a homeowner checklist, and more.
NGWA is also once again hosting a conference on this topic, Fate of PFAS: From Groundwater to Tap Water, June 21-22, 2022 in Westerville, Ohio.