With the chemistry and environmental behavior of PFAS, combined with recent and proposed regulatory actions, creating significant challenges for groundwater management and protection, cutting-edge ideas and approaches were discussed at NGWA’s recent Groundwater in the PFAS Era: Stressors, Protection, and Compliance Conference.
The event, which was held April 16-17 in Tucson, Arizona, and drew more than 120 attendees, provided a forum to discuss the science and state-of-the-practice approaches to address PFAS contamination. The meeting was timely given the recent announcement of drinking water standards for six PFAS and designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under Superfund.
Mark Brusseau, Ph.D., from the University of Arizona, provided an engaging keynote address, emphasizing the importance of physical-chemical properties and mass-partitioning processes that influence the retention and transport of PFAS in the vadose zone.
Another highlight of the conference was a panel discussion of forensic investigative tools that can help delineate the mass of PFAS present and sources of the mass.
Strong participation by students, who gave presentations or posters, was another highlight.
Topical sessions for presentations included Regulations and Risk Management, PFAS in the Hydrologic Cycle, PFAS Destruction, Site Investigations, Remediation/Treatment, and Landfills and Biosolids.
NGWA has long been an industry leader in providing PFAS research, education, and resources to the public and scientific communities. Learn more by visiting NGWA.org/PFAS, which is a complete resource center about the groundwater contaminants featuring a recently updated top-10 facts sheet, a position paper, and more.