A team of researchers from Penn State University found that 18% of sampled private wells in the state had levels of PFAS that was higher than drinking water standards.

Penn State announced the research findings Wednesday, and the study will be in the July issue of the Journal of Environmental Management.

In researching potential contamination of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater feeding private wells, the research team looked at 167 private wells over three years. The study found that 30 of the wells exceeded the maximum contaminant levels for drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and 108, or 65% of the studied wells, had detectable PFAS concentrations, with each of the 20 tested compounds detected at least once and nearly half of the wells seeing several compounds detected.

“My immediate reaction when I saw all the data combined was a little bit of relief, because none of the numbers were as high as I feared they could be,” said team leader and senior author of the study Heather Preisendanz, professor of agricultural and biological engineering in the College of Agricultural Sciences. “We were happy that most of the numbers we saw were within the drinking water standards. Only 18% of the wells had levels that were higher than the federal standards, but they weren’t thousands of times higher than the drinking water standards, as we have seen in other places. The levels that we saw were relatively low and are treatable with pretty simple technologies that people can use in their households.”

According to the study, the wells with the highest concentrations of total measured PFAS were located in the southeastern region of the state, while wells in central and western regions were more likely to not have any PFAS compound detected.

The researchers also found that wells near developed land, or those near “constructed materials and impervious surfaces,” were more likely to contain PFAS.

Researchers were not able to find a connection between PFAS and the proximity of wells to agricultural areas that use sewage sludge or biosolids.

“This study was originally conceived to answer the question of whether or not biosolids applications were putting people at higher risk of PFAS in their drinking water,” Preisendanz said. “And so, the participants we selected early in the study were chosen due to their proximity to biosolids application sites.”

These well owners were recruited through Penn State Extension’s Master Well Owner Network, according to Penn State, and participants acted as community scientists, sampling their water prior to any in-home treatment.

Preisendanz pointed out that that these results may not be representative of PFAS levels in all private wells, and that concerned residents are encouraged to test their water.

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