Brick Utilities PFOA Source Trackdown Study

Transcription

1 Brick Utilities PFOA Source Trackdown Study NJ Water Monitoring Council January 21, 2016 Robert Karl Source Water Supervisor

2 Acknowledgements Project funded by grant from NJDEP NJDEP Office of Science (Gary Buchanan, Gloria Post, Judy Louis, Lee Lippincott, Tom Atherholt, Nick Procopio and Sandra Goodrow) NJ Geological Survey (Karl Muessig, Raymond Bousenberry and Gregg Steidl) USEPA National Exposure Research Laboratory, NC (Dr. Mark Strynar & Dr. Andy Lindstrom) BTMUA Source Water Division staff (Glenn Hamelink, Joseph DiMatteo, Shari Kondrup and Will Ruocco)

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7 Following NJDEP 2009 PFC Occurrence Study

8 Project Objectives 1. Identify the source(s) of PFOA/PFCs in the Metedeconk River and evaluate the feasibility of eliminating them at the source; and 2. If the source cannot be identified or controlled, pilot treatment techniques capable of removing PFCs at the conventional water treatment plant

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13 Known/Suspected Illicit Dischargers

14 House of Granite

15 Table 1 PFC Compounds Analyzed for the Metedeconk Watershed Study Acronym Analyte PFC Class Standard Laboratory Reporting Limit (ng/l) PFBA Perfluorobutanoic acid Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) 10 PFPA Perfluoropentanoic acid Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) 5 PFHxA Perfluoro n hexanoic acid Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) 5 PFHpA Perfluoro n heptanoic acid Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) 5 PFOA Perfluorooctanoic acid Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) 5 PFNA Perfluorononanoic acid Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) 5 PFDA Perfluorodecanoic acid Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) 5 PFBS Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid Perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs) 5 PFHxS Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid Perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs) 5 PFOS Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid Perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs) 5 Perfluoroalkyl Compounds (PFCs) are a family of persistent emerging contaminants with widespread environmental occurrence in a variety of media, including aquatic systems They have unique properties that make them useful in a wide range of products and industrial applications PFCs are soluble in water, which aids in their ability to disperse in the environment Contemporary analytical methods are commonly capable of detecting PFC s in the low partper-trillion (ng/l) range PFCs are currently unregulated contaminants in drinking water but USEPA has developed a Public Health Advisory of 0.4 ug/l for short-term exposure to PFOA NJDEP has issued its own health-based drinking water guidance level of 0.04 ug/l, intended to protect from lifetime exposure

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27 Samples Summary 172 samples total 96 within study area 85 surface water samples 27 groundwater samples 52 quality assurance samples (35 blanks/17 dups) Other samples: Drinking water (13) Stormwater (4) Wastewater - sanitary (2) Process water/suspect illicit discharge (2) Other (2) Analyte No. of Samples No. of Hits Percent Hits Mean Detection (ng/l) Median Detection (ng/l) Min. Detection (ng/l) Max. Detection (ng/l) PFBA % PFPA % PFHxA % PFHpA % PFOA % PFNA % PFDA % PFBS % PFHxS % PFOS %

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30 USEPA NC Findings Dr. Mark Strynar & Dr. Andy Lindstrom 1. No perfluorinated sulfonic acids indicative of processes or formulations that were not 3M POSF (perfluorooctane sulfinyl fluoride) derived 2. PFOA approximately 90% of total PFCAs detected 3. Older PFC source: Manufacturing: o Old way - Electrochemical fluorination (ECF) Linear and branched PFCA isomers o Newer way - Fluorotelomerization Linear PFCAs only PFCAs being detected show both linear and branched isomers

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32 Questions/Issues remaining 1. What are groundwater PFC concentrations on private properties in plume area? 2. Confirm source facility 3. How are PFC contaminants actually getting into the groundwater? Deposition precip/runoff percolation Localized air deposition Waste stream Etc.

33 Decreasing trend in Metedeconk River PFOA concentrations Testing shows BTMUA has been able to keep finished water PFOA concentrations below NJDEP s 40 ng/l health-based drinking water guidance level since our initial 2010 sampling