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Prevalence and Source Tracing of PFAS in Shallow Groundwater Used for Drinking Water in Wisconsin, USA

2023; American Chemical Society; Volume: 57; Issue: 45 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1021/acs.est.3c02826

1520-5851

Matthew Silver, William Lyon Phelps, Kevin C. Masarik, Kyle Burke, Chen Zhang, A. Truman Schwartz, Miaoyan Wang, A. Nitka, Jordan Schutz, Tom Trainor, John W. Washington, Bruce D. Rheineck,

Chemical Analysis and Environmental Impact

Samples from 450 homes with shallow private wells throughout the state of Wisconsin (USA) were collected and analyzed for 44 individual per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), general water quality parameters, and indicators of human waste as well as agricultural influence. At least one PFAS was detected in 71% of the study samples, and 22 of the 44 PFAS analytes were detected in one or more samples. Levels of PFOA and/or PFOS exceeded the proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels of 4 ng/L, put forward by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March 2023, in 17 of the 450 samples, with two additional samples containing PFHxS ≳ 9 ng/L (the EPA-proposed hazard index reference value). Those samples above the referenced PFAS levels tend to be associated with developed land and human waste indicators (artificial sweeteners and pharmaceuticals), which can be released to groundwater via septic systems. For a few samples with levels of PFOA, PFOS, and/or PFHxS > 40 ng/L, application of wastes to agricultural land is a possible source. Overall, the study suggests that human waste sources, septic systems in particular, are important sources of perfluoroalkyl acids, especially ones with ≤8 perfluorinated carbons, in shallow groundwater.