Perfluorinated compounds in soil, groundwater and surface water : risk picture and action strategies

Authors:

  • Rune Berglind
  • Johan Helldén
  • Niclas Johansson
  • Birgitta Liljedahl
  • Jan Sjöström
  • Kennet Lidström

Publish date: 2013-12-31

Report number: FOI-R--3705--SE

Pages: 99

Written in: Swedish

Keywords:

  • Perfluorinated compounds
  • PFC
  • PFOS
  • PFOA
  • PFAS
  • contaminated
  • land

Abstract

Perfluorinated compounds (PFC), mainly PFOS and PFOA, in soil, ground water and surface water, have been more and more observed in the vicinity of airports and fire fighting sites during recent years. The substances are present in fire fighting foams of the type AFFF (=Aqueous Film Forming Foams). The Swedish Armed Forces/The Swedish Air Force and also civil aviation administrations have used these compounds. In Sweden, fire fighting compounds containing PFC were banned during 2011. In the future, environmental authorities might demand that also source terms and dispersion plumes from verified PCF contaminations should be taken care of. The remediation costs might be very high, especially if it becomes necessary to excavate and remove the contamination source. For that reason it is important to make an inventory of possible future remediation technologies, effective for treatment of PFC-contaminated areas, and also to pay attention to environmental risks related to large-scale remediation methods. By order of Swedish Armed Forces Environmental Licence Section, work has been carried out in order to create a knowledge and experience bank for the Swedish Armed Forces and give support regarding perfluorinated compounds in soil, ground water, surface water and also an overview of the risks together with action plans. The results presented in this report are mainly a compilation of knowledge and experience, based on current facts, mainly international literature and international experience from after-treatment of perfluorinated compounds in soil and ground water.