[CPEO-MEF] PFAS: "Army says PFAS levels exceed state’s proposed limit in eight Harvard private wells" near former Ft. Devens (MA)

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Army says PFAS levels exceed state’s proposed limit in eight Harvard private wells

BY JOAN ELIYESIL  
Harvard Press (MA)
JANUARY 23, 2020

Results of the Army’s tests for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in about 100 private wells in Harvard are in, and they show that the substances have found their way into 46 of those wells. Eight wells tested over 20 parts per trillion (ppt), the state’s proposed maximum contaminant level for PFAS; 38 results were less than 20, and the rest had no detectable PFAS.

The eight wells that tested over 20 ppt are located on Blanchard Road, Lancaster County Road, and Ayer Road near the Ayer rotary (see table). The highest level found was 44.9 ppt, which represents the sum of six specific PFAS compounds that the state proposes using for its guideline. The current state guideline is 70 ppt for the sum of five compounds, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s health advisory is 70 ppt for the sum of the compounds PFOA and PFOS. The most prevalent compounds in the eight Harvard wells were PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS.

Last summer, the Board of Health requested more PFAS testing in Harvard after nearby wells in Devens and several of Harvard’s small public water supplies tested above the state’s proposed limits. It provided the Army with a list of 196 private wells, mostly in the northwestern section of Harvard that borders Devens. About 100 well owners responded, and the tests began in October.

…

For the entire article, see
https://harvardpress.com/News/News-Articles/ArtMID/4510/ArticleID/20312/Army-says-PFAS-levels-exceed-state’s-proposed-limit-in-eight-Harvard-private-wells

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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org





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