Faculty Mentor
Chad Pritchard
Presentation Type
Poster
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Geosciences
Abstract
Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have become a national issue as regulatory limits for these toxins have just recently been put into the Clean Water Act. The West Plains has been significantly impacted by PFAS contamination due to the decades-long use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for firefighting training at both Fairchild Airforce Base and the Spokane International Airport. Though research is still underway, it is known that PFAS contamination in West Plains groundwater is significant and widespread. This study focuses on West Plains surface waters, as there is currently less information about how these water bodies are impacted by PFAS.
This study looks at multiple lakes, creeks, and springs, as well as samples of rain, snow, wind-generated surfactant foam, and lake sediment. Since West Plains groundwater and surface waters generally flow northeast towards the Spokane River, we also include samples from multiple locations along the river to determine if PFAS levels change downstream. This study is part of the larger West Plains PFAS Fate and Transport Study, which is currently being conducted at Eastern Washington University to gain a comprehensive understanding of PFAS sources and to determine their pathways and distribution throughout water on the West Plains.
Recommended Citation
Hampson, Jerusha, "Preliminary Analysis of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Surface Waters of the West Plains Region of Spokane County" (2024). 2024 Symposium. 2.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2024/works_2024/works_2024/2
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Included in
Preliminary Analysis of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Surface Waters of the West Plains Region of Spokane County
Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have become a national issue as regulatory limits for these toxins have just recently been put into the Clean Water Act. The West Plains has been significantly impacted by PFAS contamination due to the decades-long use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for firefighting training at both Fairchild Airforce Base and the Spokane International Airport. Though research is still underway, it is known that PFAS contamination in West Plains groundwater is significant and widespread. This study focuses on West Plains surface waters, as there is currently less information about how these water bodies are impacted by PFAS.
This study looks at multiple lakes, creeks, and springs, as well as samples of rain, snow, wind-generated surfactant foam, and lake sediment. Since West Plains groundwater and surface waters generally flow northeast towards the Spokane River, we also include samples from multiple locations along the river to determine if PFAS levels change downstream. This study is part of the larger West Plains PFAS Fate and Transport Study, which is currently being conducted at Eastern Washington University to gain a comprehensive understanding of PFAS sources and to determine their pathways and distribution throughout water on the West Plains.
