Development of Forensic Guidelines and Tools for PFAS Source Differentiation at Airports

Airports across the United States face increasing regulatory and technical challenges for addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) releases into groundwater and surface water from the use of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) in aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) activities. In many cases, airports also have tenants who store and use AFFF. Additionally, airports located in industrial areas may have neighbors who use and/or store AFFF or other PFASs. Construction activities at or near the airport can lead to the discovery of PFAS-impacted soils, and there is little understanding of how to determine the source of the contamination. Distinguishing among PFAS sources is an important aspect of any site characterization program and is useful for managing the cost and liability of remediation. Research is needed to advance the understanding of source differentiation so it can be applied to airports with greater confidence. The objective of this research is to develop a forensic method for differentiating among multiple potential sources of PFAS contamination at an airport and its environs.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5022
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $490000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 02-91

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Airport Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Project Managers:

  Navarrete, Joseph

• Start Date: 20200817
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airports; Contaminants; Fire extinguishing agents; Foams; Guidelines
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Environment; Materials; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01748060
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 02-91
• Files: TRB, RiP
• Created Date: Aug 17 2020 3:04PM