PFAS in Maine water, sediment,

and fishPresented to

Governor Mills’ PFAS Task ForceSeptember 25, 2019

byBarry Mower, PhD, Biologist III

Division of Environmental Assessment

MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONProtecting Maine’s Air, Land and Water

What are PFAS?

• Per- and PolyFluoroAlkyl Substances• PFOA, PFOS• Manmade, ubiquitous• Organic compounds, H is replaced with F,

has a functional group• C-F bond, strongest covalent bond• 1000s different chemicals

MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION www.maine.gov/dep

PFAS Properties

• Hydrophobic and lipophobic

• Resist stains, heat, water, oil

• Very mobile, very persistent

• Bioaccumulate

MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION www.maine.gov/dep

Why are they at DOD sites?

• AFFF, aqueous film-forming foams• Used at crash sites, spills, fire training

Potential Release Sites

Amec Foster Wheeler, 2016 Site Investigation Report

Site Investigation

• 2015– 23 Surface water samples– 22 Sediment samples– 15 Fish tissue samples

• 2016– 12 Surface water samples– 13 Sediment samples– 2 Fish tissue samples

6:2F

TS8:

2FTS

NE

TFO

SA

AN

ME

FOS

AA

PFB

AP

FBS

PFD

AP

FDoA

PFH

pAP

FHxA

PFH

xSP

FNA

PFO

AP

FOS

PFP

eAP

FTeD

AP

FTrD

AP

FUnA0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Loring 2016 Surface Wa

n = 13

PFOAPFOS

Surface Water Resultsng/L Residential Construction Worker SL

PFOA 70 750,000

PFOS 70 750,000

2018 DEP RAGs6:

2FTS

8:2F

TSN

ETF

OS

AA

NM

EFO

SA

AP

FBA

PFB

SP

FDA

PFD

oAP

FHpA

PFH

xAP

FHxS

PFN

AP

FOA

PFO

SP

FPeA

PFT

eDA

PFT

rDA

PFU

nA0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Loring 2015 Surface Wa

n = 23

PFOAPFOS

Surface Water 2015 Results, ng/L

Surface Water Results

• PFOS and PFHxS most commonly detected, greatest concentrations.

• PFOA, PFHxA also commonly detected.• 17 PFOS exceedances (2018 Residential) • 2 PFOA exceedances (2018 residential)• Western drainage to Greenlaw Brook more

impacted than eastern Butterfield Brook.

Sediment Resultsng/g Screening

PFOA 5,700

PFOS 5,700

2018 RAGs

6:2F

TS8:

2FTS

NE

TFO

SA

AN

ME

FOS

AA

PFB

AP

FBS

PFD

AP

FDoA

PFH

pAP

FHxA

PFH

xSP

FNA

PFO

AP

FOS

PFP

eAP

FTeD

AP

FTrD

AP

FUnA0

20

40

60

80Loring 2016 Sediment, n

n = 12

PFOA/PFOS

6:2F

TS8:

2FTS

NE

TFO

SA

AN

ME

FOS

AA

PFB

AP

FBS

PFD

AP

FDoA

PFH

pAP

FHxA

PFH

xSP

FNA

PFO

AP

FOS

PFP

eAP

FTeD

AP

FTrD

AP

FUnA0

20

40

60

80

Loring 2015 Sediment, n

n = 22

PFOA/PFOS

Sediment Results

• PFOS most commonly detected.• PFOA, PFHxS also commonly detected, but

very low concentrations• No exceedances.

Fish Tissue 2015 Results

Number of Meals

Daily FishConsumptio

n Rate(kg/day)

Sensitive Population FTAL

(ug/kg wet weight)

General Population

FTAL(ug/kg wet

weight)One meal per week 0.0324 34.1 79.0Two meals per month 0.0162 68.1 158.0One meal per month 0.00757 145.8 338.2

MeCDC Human Health Fish Tissue Action Levels

6:2F

TS8:

2FTS

NE

TFO

SA

AN

ME

FOS

AA

PFB

AP

FBS

PFD

AP

FDoA

PFH

pAP

FHxA

PFH

xSP

FNA

PFO

AP

FOS

PFO

SA

PFP

eAP

FTeD

AP

FTrD

AP

FUnA0

100

200

300

400

Loring Skinless Fillets, n

n = 13

RecreationalSubsistence

Fish Tissue 2015 Results

O = OffalSF = Skinless FilletsSOF = Skin-On Fillets

O SF SOF

010

0020

0030

0040

00

PFO

S, n

g/g

RecreationalSubsistence

Fish Tissue 2015 Results

2016 Results

2 Background samples:2.17, 2.80 ng/g

Fish Tissue Results

• PFOS was most commonly detected PFAS.• All the fish samples had exceedances, except

for background samples.• PFOS concentrations greater in western

drainage than in eastern.• PFOS concentrations in offal and skin are

greater than in fillets.

LAFB Conclusions• PFOS is most commonly detected PFAS in all media.• Surface water:

– 17 PFOS exceedances of 2018 residential screening levels.– PFHxS concentrations similar to PFOS.– Detections of PFOA, PFHxA.

• Sediment: no exceedances, mostly PFOS.• Fish tissue:

– PFOS exceedances for all LAFB samples except background.– PFOS had greatest concentrations.

SWAT

• Surface Water Ambient Toxics (SWAT) monitoring program (38 MRS §420-B)

• In order to determine the nature, scope and severity of toxic contamination in the surface waters and fisheries of the State

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

MSE-WHP KGD-SMB KGD-WHC SRF-FLF SRF-SMB MXW-SMB ACB-BKT ACB-FLF

PFO

S (n

g/g)

RIVER/SPECIES

PFOS in fish from rivers below POTWs, 2015

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

MSE-WHP MSE-LMB NUM 1 P-LMB MOUSAM L-LMB

PFO

S ng

/g

STATION

PFOS in white perch (WHP) and largemouth bass(LMB) from Mousam River at Estes Lake (MSE), Number One Pond , and Mousam Lake

2015 2016

MRA

2019 SWAT SAP (FW Fish)

• SAMPLE FISH FROM RIVERS NEAR BIOSOLIDS SPREADING SITES

• ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER, 6 SITES RUMFORD POINT TO LISBON, 1 SPECIES

• HALFMOON STREAM, 2 SITES, ABOVE AND BELOW FARM, 1 SPECIES

• KENNEBEC RIVER, 6 SITES ANSON TO GARDINER, 2 SPECIES

• KENNEBUNK RIVER, 2 SITES, ABOVE AND BELOW FARM

PFAS in Marine Bivalve Tissues2013 - 2017

• A Brief Summary of Work Completed to Date by the Marine Project of the SWAT Program

PFAS in Blue Mussels

Four spatial subsamples (composites) per site, 12 PFCs examined.2013• East End Beach, Portland PFOSA in all 4 spatial samples

(1.99 –2.82 ng/g wet wt.)• Sears Island, Searsport All non-detect

2014• Harpswell Cove, Harpswell PFOSA in 3 of 4 spatial samples

(0.63 – 0.82 ng/g wet wt.)

• Navy Pier, Harpswell PFOSA in 3 of 4 spatial samples (0.70 – 0.95 ng/g wet wt.)PFHpA in 1 of 4 spatial samples(0.86 ng/g wet wt.)

PFAS in Blue Mussels

Four spatial subsamples (composites) per site, 12 PFCs examined.2016• Mare Brook, Harpswell PFOSA in 2 of 4

spatial samples (0.49 – 0.63 ng/g wet wt.)(this site closer to BNAS than 2014 Harpswell Cove site)

PFAS in Softshell Clams

Four spatial subsamples (composites) per site, 12 PFCs examined, “whole” and “edible” (skin/membrane removed) tissues tested separately.

2013• Mast Cove, Piscataqua River All non-detect• Presumpscot River, Portland All non-detect2017• Mare Brook, Harpswell All non-detect• Broad Cove, Eastport All non-detect (5 spatial

subsamples)

2019 SWAT SAP (Marine Shellfish)

• Blue MusselsFore R. and Inner Fore R., S. Portland; East End Beach, Portland; Presumpscot R., Portland; Perkins Is., Georgetown; Town Cove, Boothbay Harbor; Crockett Point, Rockland; Penobscot R., Prospect to Stockton Springs; E. Machias Bay, Cutler; Dennys R., Edmunds. (Ten sites in total, four spatial subsamples at each).

• Softshell ClamsHilton Cove and Pottle Cove, Wiscasset. (Two sites in total, four spatial subsamples at each).

Barry Mowerbarry.f.mower@maine.gov

207-215-0291www.maine.gov/dep