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Clark McWilliams, P.E., MSc. undertook a presentation at the Arkansas Environmental Federation Convention titled:
Per – and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances – What/Where/How to Manage
How many “rabbit holes” can you jump down? (“Presentation”)
Clark is a Senior Project Professional in the North Little Rock, Arkansas, office of SCS Engineers.
The referenced chemicals commonly subject to the acronym PFAS consist of a large group of man-made chemicals. Their properties include resistance to heat, water, and oil. They have been described as persistent in the environment and resist degradation.
Potential human exposure to PFAS includes pathways through drinking water, air, or food.
The Presentation initially asks the following questions:
- How many know what PFAS is?
- How many have been in a meeting about it?
- Who is actively addressing it?
- Who has programs in-place?
- Who is exhausted hearing about it?
A substantial number of reference sources is provided/summarized in the Presentation.
Other issues addressed included:
- Composition
- History
- Transformation
- Degradation
- Fate/Transport
- Toxicity/Exposure
- Management
- Regulatory Status
- Treatment
- Company Actions to Consider
- Number of PFAS
- Applicable Statutes/Regulations
- PFAS Emergency Timeline
- Examples of Sources of PFAS
- Aqueous Film-Forming Foam
- Industrial (primary production and secondary manufacturing)
- Landfills
- Wastewater treatment plants
- Consumer products?
- Two Categories:
- Where found:
- Air
- Surface water
- Groundwater
- Soil
- Food
- Transport Examples
- State regulation to date around the United States:
- Current regulation
- Pending regulation
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Strategic Roadmap
- Standards and Guides
- Wastewater
- Soil
- CERCLA – Hazardous Substance
- Management Alternatives
A copy of the slides from the Presentation can be downloaded here.
