Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of contaminants on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Emerging Contaminant Action List. This list is comprised of chemicals and materials that pose a perceived or real threat to the environment or human health. PFASs have crept their way onto the environmental scene due to the physical and chemical properties that allow them to be manufactured and used worldwide. The scientific community has begun to recognize and discover the dangers and risks involved with PFASs in the environment.
Researchers and scientists at the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) recently developed six fact sheets to summarize the latest findings. They are as follows:
- Naming Conventions and Physical and Chemical Properties
- Regulations, Guidance, and Advisories
- History and Use
- Environmental Fate and Transport
- Site Characterization Tools, Sampling Techniques, and Laboratory Analytical Methods
- Remediation Technologies and Methods.
These fact sheets are to be used by state regulatory program personnel to further assist them in making informed and timely decisions regarding PFAS-impacted sites. This content is not only beneficial to regulatory programs but also to consultants and parties responsible for the release of these contaminants.
The ITRC PFAS team is currently working on the associated Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document to go along with these sheets, and an introductory document can be found here. For more information on PFAS, please visit our past article here.
Contributed by Harrison Haley, Marketing Associate