Study Predicts Decades-Long PFAS Presence in North Carolina Groundwater.

A new study from North Carolina State University estimates that it could take over 40 years to naturally flush PFAS chemicals out of contaminated groundwater in North Carolina’s Cumberland and Bladen counties. The research used a novel combination of groundwater age-dating tracers, PFAS concentration data, and groundwater flow rates to model future contamination levels in groundwater discharging into tributaries of the Cape Fear River. The findings show that contamination from the Fayetteville Works fluorochemical plant affects both private wells and river water, impacting nearby populations. PFAS concentrations detected in groundwater samples were well above EPA standards, with the most common chemicals, HFPO-DA and PMPA, reaching up to 498 nanograms per liter.

Despite reduced PFAS air emissions since 2019, the study suggests that groundwater contamination will continue for decades, with PFAS slowly seeping from low-permeability zones and entering surface water. Even in a best-case scenario without further atmospheric deposition, researchers predict that it will take around 40 years for past PFAS emissions to fully flush out of the groundwater. The team plans to expand this research to model future contamination at individual wells and explore potential health impacts from historical PFAS exposure.

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