Pennsylvania last week announced the final results of its state sampling of public water systems for PFAS, data for which do not indicate widespread contamination. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) identified 493 public water system sources as potential sampling sites due to their proximity to potential PFAS contamination.
Of the PFAS chemicals analyzed from those sites, PFOA and PFOS were the most common, having been detected at 112 and 103 sites, respectively. Only two samples tested above the U.S. EPA Health Advisory Level of 70 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS combined. Samples were analyzed using EPA Method 537.1 for 18 PFAS, only eight of which were detected at sites across the state.
In September 2018, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order establishing a state PFAS Action Team and ordering the statewide sampling. Sampling began in June 2019, was temporarily suspended from March 2020 to July 2020 due to COVID, and resumed in August 2020 under an approved health and safety plan. Sampling activities concluded in March 2021.
The state will take steps to address PFAS remediation at impacted sites. In addition, the Action Team has already begun setting a maximum contaminant level, approving grant funding to address PFAS in groundwater, and developing a cleanup standard for PFAS soil contamination, among other activities.
See here for the full results and more information about DEP’s work on PFAS.
