PFAS in the Drinking Water Source: Analysis of the Contamination Levels, Origin and Emission Rates

Groundwater contamination caused by the use of the aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was investigated in southern Sweden. sigma PFAS concentrations in groundwater ranged between 20 and 20,000 ng L-1; PFAS composition was primarily represented by PFOS and PFHxS. The PFAS chain length was suggested to have an impact on the contaminant distribution and transport in the groundwater. PFAS profiling showed that the use of PFSAs- and PFCAs/FTSAs-based PFAS-AFFF can be a contributor to PFAS contamination of the drinking water source (groundwater). PFAS emission was connected to PFAS-AFFF use during the fire-training and fire-fighting equipment tests at the studied location. PFAS emission per individual fire training was (semi-quantitatively) estimated as [1.4 < 11.5 +/- 5.7 < 43.7 kg] (n = 20,000). The annual emission estimates varied as [11 < 401 +/- 233 < 1125 kg yr(-1)] (n = 1005) considering possible [2 < 35 +/- 20 < 96] individual fire-training sessions per year.

Automated summary

Groundwater contamination caused by the use of AFFF containing PFAS was investigated in southern Sweden. PFAS concentrations ranged from 20 to 20,000 ng L-1, with PFOS and PFHxS being the most prominent compounds. PFAS chain length was found to affect the distribution and transport in groundwater. PFAS-AFFF use during fire-training and equipment tests was identified as a contributor to PFAS contamination, with estimated emission amounts varying based on the number of training sessions per year.