PFAS – Page 3 – Edmonds Environmental Council

Survey of PFAS in the Greater Lake Washington Watershed

Department of Ecology
October 2022

Introduction and problem statement

During summer 2020, the Washington State Department of Ecology’s (Ecology’s) Environmental Assessment Program initiated Phase 1 of a field study to address potential sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in resident fish from Lake Washington, King County (Furl and Meredith 2010, Mathieu and McCall 2017, Mathieu 2022).

During Phase 1, we assessed concentrations of PFAS in Lake Washington and in potential contaminant pathways to the lake. The Phase 1 study design included characterization of PFAS concentrations in the lake and its direct tributaries, groundwater discharges, stormwater discharges, bridge runoff, and bulk atmospheric deposition (Wong and Mathieu 2021, Escobedo 2021).

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Chemical Action Plan

Department of Ecology
September 2022

Executive Summary

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of more than 9,000 synthetic organic chemicals. PFAS can withstand high temperatures and survive highly corrosive environments. They are used in the manufacture of coatings, surface treatments, and specialty chemicals in cookware, carpets, food packaging, clothing, cosmetics, and other common consumer products. PFAS also have many industrial applications and are an active ingredient in certain types of fire- fighting foams (aqueous film-forming foams, or AFFF). PFAS coatings resist oil, grease, and water.

Department of Ecology – Our Committees, Boards, and Workgroups

We’re proud of the community involvement that supports Ecology’s mission. State, regional, and local governmental, non-governmental, and private constituents join forces to provide advice and oversight to a variety of projects and programs.

Below you will find links to many of the boards, committees, task forces, and other groups we contribute to. For additional information about our partnerships, boards, and committees, please visit our partnerships and committees page on our main website, ecology.wa.gov.

Our Committees, Boards, and Workgroups index

Recommended State Action Levels for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water: Approach, Methods, and Supporting Information

Department of Health
331-673 • Revised November 1, 2021

Summary

In October 2017, the State Board of Health (board) accepted a petition from ten organizations to establish drinking water standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Board authority to adopt such standards comes under RCW 43.20.050(2), RCW 70.119.080(1), and RCW 70.142.010.

To support the board, the Washington Department of Health (department) released draft state action levels (SALs) for five PFAS in November 2019. These PFAS occur in Washington drinking water and had sufficient scientific information to recommend a value. We presented the draft rule language at stakeholder workshops and at numerous meetings with stakeholders. After evaluating the feedback from these events and from two public comment periods, we updated our technical document and lowered our recommendation for the PFBS SAL from 1,300 to 345 ng/L to better protect infants. We also revised the PFNA SAL from 14 to 9 ng/L based on new evidence of serum half-life in humans. The PFHxS SAL was revised slightly to correct our calculation of average maternal body weight used in the infant exposure model. The revised SAL values are part of the proposed rule being considered for adoption by the State Board of Health in 2021.

Groundwater Flow and PFAS Transport Modeling Report Issaquah, Washington

Geosyntec Consultants
September 13, 2021

Introduction

Geosyntec Consultants (Geosyntec) has prepared this Groundwater Flow and Per- and Poly- Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Transport Modeling Report (Report) on behalf of the City of Issaquah (City). Geosyntec performed this work on behalf of the City, Eastside Fire and Rescue (EFR), and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), collectively referred to as the Issaquah Valley PFAS Partnership (the Partnership). The Partnership is conducting additional investigation of PFAS contamination of the Issaquah Valley Aquifer, through legislative funding provided to Ecology. Farallon Consulting, LLC (Farallon), on behalf of EFR, is the leading consultant for the field investigations that support the model development.

2021 Issaquah PFAS transport Download

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Additional Characterization Study Summary Report

Lower Issaquah Valley
Issaquah, Washington

Farallon Consulting, L.L.C.
April 14, 2021

Executive Summary

Farallon has prepared this Summary Report on behalf of Eastside Fire and Rescue to summarize the work performed and analytical results for the Lower Issaquah Valley Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Additional Characterization Study performed from March through October 2020 (Study).

Loading, transport, and treatment of emerging chemical and biological contaminants of concern in stormwater

Sumaiya Saifur and Courtney M. Gardner
March 2, 2021

Abstract

Stormwater is a largely uncontrolled source of pollution in rural and urban environments across the United States. Concern regarding the growing diversity and abundance of pollutants in stormwater, as well as their impacts on water quality, has grown signicantly over the past several decades.

Minimizing the environmental impact of PFAS by using specialized coagulants for the treatment of PFAS polluted waters and for the decontamination of firefighting equipment

Emerging Contaminants Journal
February 22, 2021

Abstract

Per- and poly uoroalkyl substances (PFASs) represent an increasingly global challenge for keeping water and soil“non-toxic”. 100 of millions of people are exposed to PFAS levels of concern, in particular, around PFAS production sites and sites where PFASs are/were used and released or disposed.

Per – and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Characterization Study Work Plan Addendum

Lower Issaquah Valley
Issaquah, Washington
Farallon Consulting, L.L.C.
April 3, 2020

Introduction

Farallon Consulting, L.L.C. (Farallon) has prepared this addendum (Addendum) to the Per- And Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Characterization Study Work Plan, Lower Issaquah Valley, Issaquah, Washington dated 2018, prepared by Farallon (2018) for Eastside Fire & Rescue (EFR) (Work Plan), to present the work elements and rationale to further characterize the nature and extent of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil and groundwater in a portion of the Lower Issaquah Valley in Issaquah, Washington (Figure 1).