July-August_2021 - 30

PFAS
AUTHOR Ryan Moore
PFAS-Contaminated
Drinking Water:
A GROWING CONCERN FOR AIRPORTS
Regulation of PFAS begins in 2021 with a spotlight on aviation facilities.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL Working Group (EWG) estimates
that as many as 200 million Americans may be
drinking PFAS-contaminated water. And according to
Northeastern University's Social Science Environmental
Health Research Institute, aviation facilities, including
commercial airports, are listed as probable sources for
PFAS contaminants found in dozens of public water
systems across the country. Widespread PFAS testing
and public acknowledgment of the results are in the
early stages. These findings likely represent only a small
fraction of PFAS-affected systems that will ultimately
be attributed to aviation facilities.
Private drinking water wells near
airports are also increasingly found to
be contaminated with PFAS as more
test results are reported. Recent private
well PFAS contamination cases near
commercial airports in the U.S. have
been reported from Massachusetts to
Alaska. For example, in Ohio, one of
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
RYAN MOORE
Ryan Moore, CHMM, is a REGENESIS PFAS
program manager, focused on collaborating
with environmental professionals and
the industry to communicate effective,
proven approaches to manage sites where
PFAS contaminants exceed regulatory
standards. Moore has managed the use of
PlumeStop®, Colloidal Activated Carbon™,
available exclusively through REGENESIS,
to treat PFAS and other organic pollutants since its inception in
2014. Contact him at rmoore@regenesis.coM or (219) 286-4838.
Sammy Cummings, CM, development specialist, statewide
aviation at the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public
Facilities contributed to this article.
only two public water supply wells in
the state with PFAS concentrations
above the EPA Health Advisory Limit
is downstream of a commercial airport.
Upon discovery,
testing of nearby
private water followed and detected
PFAS. This scenario can be expected to
repeat in many communities over time.
After decades of aqueous film
forming foam (AFFF) use either
for training exercises or actual fire
emergencies, some level of PFAS
contamination can be reasonably assured
at all aviation facilities. And in many
cases, these " source areas " can continue
to threaten downstream drinking water
resources without a sound and effective
treatment strategy.
Methods for Treating
PFAS in Groundwater
There are two general types of
approaches currently employed to
30 \ AIRPORTBUSINESS / JULY/AUGUST 2021
treat PFAS-contaminated groundwater:
ex situ and in situ. Ex situ treatments
mostly involve mechanical groundwater
extraction and filtration using media
such as granular activated carbon
(GAC). These pump & treat (P&T)
systems have been reliably used to
prevent the migration of organic
contaminant plumes in groundwater
for decades. If properly constructed,
a line of extraction wells can form an
impassive flow boundary that PFAS or
other contaminants cannot cross.
P&T systems must be maintained
to ensure effective operation. Part of
the maintenance required includes
routine sampling of the treated water to
demonstrate PFAS removal effectiveness
and changing out of the spent carbon.
With the pending hazardous substance
designation, the spent carbon from these
systems will need to be managed as
hazardous waste, resulting in substantial
cost increases to maintain these systems.
July-August_2021

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