A Conceptual Site Model for Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Water Supply Impacts in a Residential Community

ABSTRACT At a Class 4 State Superfund site located in a densely developed residential/commercial area in a suburb of New York City, emerging contaminant sampling for PFAS was performed as part of a statewide data‐gathering project. Two per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), were detected at concentrations in excess of drinking water standards in bedrock and overburden monitoring wells at the State Superfund site. A bedrock private water supply well sampling program and a PFAS source investigation, consisting of overburden investigations near potential sources (i.e., sites with a history of known or suspected use, storage, or discharge of PFAS), were undertaken to assess exposures and identify and potentially eliminate sources of PFAS contaminants in the bedrock drinking water supply. Relative ratios of PFAS (i.e., PFAS signatures) were plotted geospatially to facilitate comparison of the characteristics of overburden groundwater sampling results to that of nearby bedrock private water supply sampling results. In addition, total PFAS concentrations in overburden groundwater and bedrock private water supply samples were compared to identify potential sources of bedrock groundwater impacts. The PFAS signature analysis revealed that (1) PFAS signatures of overburden groundwater samples were generally consistent with nearby bedrock private water supply samples; (2) total PFAS concentrations detected in overburden groundwater samples were marginally higher than concentrations detected in nearby bedrock private water supplies; (3) there was generally low variability in PFAS signatures throughout the study area (Assessment Area); and (4) overburden groundwater and bedrock private water supply PFAS signatures were similar to that of the nearby wastewater treatment plant effluent discharge, which represents a composite average PFAS signature for domestic wastewater from the area. Finally, septic system tracers were also detected in bedrock private water supply and overburden groundwater samples. Based on the results of the investigation, multiple lines of evidence support the Conceptual Site Model, which is likely applicable to many PFAS‐contaminated drinking water supplies with conditions similar to the Assessment Area: consumer product use and discharge to domestic septic systems in a densely developed residential area, lacking area‐wide municipal water and sewer, with shallow groundwater and bedrock, and a vertical downward groundwater gradient, have resulted in the widespread presence of PFAS in private water supply wells .