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Community PFAS Testing
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
NEEDHAM
You might have seen recent news reports about per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (together abbreviated as PFAS). This is a class of human-made chemicals typically associated with certain fire-fighting foams. These chemicals are persistent and have been used in products we all use for decades.
On October 2, 2020, MassDEP published the drinking water standard or maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 20 nanograms per liter (ng/L), or parts per trillion (ppt), for PFAS based on the sum of concentrations for six PFAS compounds. The six PFAS are: perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS); perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS); perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA); and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA).
Needham tested using extremely sensitive analystical methods for 18 different PFAS compounds, using a MassDEP approved laboratory and methods. The MassDEP MCL is based on the first six compounds shown in in the table below; the others are additional compounds tested for using the same lab method. using test methods that can detect the presence of these chemicals down to levels below a part per trillion (ppt), we detected some of these chemicals in local well water. The results are below the regulatory levels published by MassDEP for drinking water.
Data is also posted on the Needham's town website, found here.
2023 PFAS Test Results for Needham
| PFAS6 (regulated) - results in ppt | |
|---|---|
| February | 9.13 ppt |
| April | 8.21 ppt |
| July | 5.62 ppt |
| October | 10.1 ppt |
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level is 20 ppt (parts per trillion) |
|
2022 PFAS Test Results for Needham
| PFAS6 (regulated) - results in ppt | |
|---|---|
| January | 12.4 ppt |
| February | 10.3 ppt |
| March | 7.34 ppt |
| April | 8.93 ppt |
| May | 7.34 ppt |
| June | 7.82 ppt |
| July | 9.03 ppt |
| October | 8.75 ppt |
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level is 20 ppt (parts per trillion) |
|
2021 PFAS Test Results for Needham
| PFAS6 (regulated) - results in ppt | |
|---|---|
| January | 13.8 ppt |
| March | 11.2 ppt |
| April | 8.2 ppt |
| May | 6.6 ppt |
| June | 11.9 ppt |
| July | 7.01 ppt |
| August | 12 ppt |
| September | 13.6 ppt |
| October | 10.8 ppt |
| November | 8.7 ppt |
| December | 12.3 ppt |
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level is 20 ppt (parts per trillion) |
|
2020 PFAS Test Results for Needham
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | Charles Treatment Plant - 8/25/20 | Charles Treatment Plant - 3/3/20 |
|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | 1.1 | Trace* |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | 0.82 | Trace* |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 3.2 | 3.4 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | 4.1 | 4.6 |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Sum of PFAS6 - compare to MassDEP MCL of 20 ng/lb | 9.22 | 8 |
* Trace amounts are present but they are below the minimum concentration that can be reported as a quantified value. Categorized as not detected by MassDEP. |
||
| PFBS | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| PFHxA | 1.2 | Trace* |
| NEtFOSAA | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFTeDA | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Adona | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFPO-DA | Not Detected | Not Detected |
2019 PFAS Test Results for Needham
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | Charles Treatment Plant - 9/26/19 | Charles Treatment Plant - 10/22/19 |
|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | 1.67 | 1.72 |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | 1.13 | Trace |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 3.49 | 6.06 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | 3.66 | 6.15 |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | Not Detected | Trace |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Compare to proposed MassDEP standard of 20 ppt for the sum of these six compounds* | 10 | 16.4 |
* MassDEP has proposed a drinking water standard of 20 ppt for the sum of these six compounds. The sum reported here is based on the proposed MassDEP approach for handling trace results detected below laboratory reporting levels. |
||
| PFBS | Trace | 2.7 | Trace |
| PFHxA | Trace | 2.98 | Trace |
| NEtFOSAA | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFTeDA | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Adona | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| PFPO-DA | Not Detected | Not Detected | Not Detected |