Field and Laboratory Data on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Groundwater to Inform the Selection of Sampling and Storage Conditions

Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP)
Oral Presentation

Prepared by A. Robel1, J. Field1, D. Bogdan2, B. Diguiseppi3, G. Peaslee4
1 - Oregon State University, 1007 ALS Building, 2750 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States
2 - AECOM, 3950 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49546, United States
3 - CH2M Hill, 9193 S. Jamaica Drive, Englewood, Co, 80112, United States
4 - Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, United States


Contact Information: robela@oregonstate.edu; 303-378-9364


ABSTRACT

Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been routinely applied for use in numerous sectors including consumer products, grease and oil repellents, and in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF). Numerous manufacturers have sold proprietary mixtures that have been used at fire-training sites on a routine basis over the last 40-50 years, with little to no concern for the environmental impacts or the fate and transport of the PFASs over time. The result is the generation of innumerable sites that are now impacted and may require remediation. Recent discovery work, characterizing PFASs at both AFFF impacted sites and nearby groundwater sites performed using liquid chromatography (LC)-quadrupole time of flight was used to inform analytes present at a selected United States Air Force base known to have PFAS contamination. A new LC-mass spectrometer method was developed to quantify the present PFASs for this study. Additionally, sampling parameters including sampling materials, sample collection, and sample storage for the analytes represented by the new analytical method were examined. The optimal sample storage and analysis conditions were determined. Additionally, a characterization of 50+ sampling materials was performed and a list of PFASs containing materials was compiled. This study represents a full bodied approach to 35+ PFASs actually present at an environmentally relevant site, sampling and storage, and materials that may impact analysis and cause false positives.