WEDNESDAY DINNER - Co-Hosted with HMPGA
as part of Geology Days 2025

Summary of PFAS in Soil Background Study

William Ottaway, NYSDEC

Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs, 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Social Hour - 5:30 PM

Dinner - 6:30 PM

Presentation - 7:30 (1 PDH)

Please note: If you are already registered to attend Dinner at Geology Days, you do not need to also register for this event.

Abstract

As part of the effort to develop soil cleanup objectives (SCOs) for PFOA and PFOS, DEC conducted a study of rural soil background concentrations of PFAS chemicals throughout New York State. This study was designed to mimic the procedures and sampling locations used in the 2005 statewide Survey to Describe Concentration Ranges for Selected Analytes in Rural New York State Surface Soils ("Rural Soil Survey"; NYSDEC, 2006). In 2023, a total of 548 surface soil samples were collected between October 10 and December 6 at 116 properties. All properties were remote from known sources of PFAS, which was confirmed by spatial and multivariate statistical analysis.

The report has not been released, and the exact content of this presentation will depend on the final form of that report and the status of subsequent policy and rulemaking revisions. We hope to present the results of this study, including consideration of potential sources of PFAS and fate and transport. We also hope to discuss the implications on environmental cleanups and other policies. In addition to this study, we will provide general information about the basis for SCOs, how they are calculated, how they should be used, and their limitations. We also plan to include information about PFAS contamination and DEC’s response to these chemicals.