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NADP Fall Meeting 2020 Presentation: Initiation of Sampling for PFAS in Eastern US
Citation:
Offenberg, J., JohnT Walker, M. Puchalski, d. burns, A. Johnson, AND m. shafer. NADP Fall Meeting 2020 Presentation: Initiation of Sampling for PFAS in Eastern US. NADP Fall 2020 Meeting, Virtual, Wisconsin, October 28 - 30, 2020.
Impact/Purpose:
Poster presentation (virtual) of the initiation of Wet Deposition Sampling and Analysis at the NADP FAll 2020 (Virtual) meeting.
Description:
Per‐ and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are key chemicals associated with the production of fluorinated polymers. While PFAS compounds are known to be released to the environment, relatively little is known about the emissions to air of PFAS from production, commercial uses, end product uses, including aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) often used in firefighting applications, and disposal or incineration. Once released, it is currently believed that these PFAS compounds may be transported, may undergo chemical transformations, and may deposit to the earth’s surface. Consequently, to begin to explore and evaluate the occurrence, and distribution of PFAS in precipitation, wet-only deposition sampling was initiated at four NADP sites. The four sites are Duke Forest, NC; Whiteface Mountain, NY; Washington’s Crossing, NJ; and Casco Bay – Wolfe’s Neck Farm, ME; NC30, NJ99, NY98 and ME96, respectively. These sites were selected as they span the east coast of the US, providing information on the spatial distribution of PFAS. Weekly integrated precipitation samples are being collected using existing NTN protocols, with the addition of a separate methanol bucket rinse designed to capture PFAS. Chemical analysis of the combined precipitation sample plus bucket rinse will be performed for 39 targeted PFAS using a modified ISO Method 21675 LC/MS approach developed by Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. Sampling began in September 2020, and will continue for two years, with additional investigation of replicate sampling to occur at NC30.
