Wells near Beaufort Marine base tested for ‘forever chemicals.’ Here’s what they found
Results from testing of drinking water wells on private property around Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort show no dangerous levels of so-called “forever chemicals,” according to the Marines and Navy, which conducted the tests.
In December 2021, groundwater and soil sampling was completed at MCAS Beaufort for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — two individual PFAS compounds — were detected in shallow groundwater above 70 parts per trillion on the base. The EPA’s lifetime drinking water health advisory for those two compounds is 70 parts per trillion.
The majority of residents who live around MCAS get their drinking water from the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA), not from a well, according to the Marines. MCAS also gets its drinking water from BJWSA.
But the elevated levels of the potentially dangerous chemicals prompted the Navy and Marines to expand the testing off base and 18 wells were sampled.
Of 18 wells tested, 12 had no PFOA and/or PFOS, the Marines said. Chemicals were detected in six wells. The levels in those six wells fell below the 70 parts per trillion lifetime drinking water health advisory from the EPA.
Based on the results, the area will not be resampled, the Marines said.
PFAS, sometimes called forever chemicals because they stay in the environment for a very long time, have been linked to health problems if exposure is prolonged. They were commonly used in firefighting foam and other products and have turned up in groundwater at some military bases across the country.
In 2016, the Navy and Marines began conducting investigations at locations where there were known or suspected releases of PFAS. In 2020, a preliminary assessment conducted at MCAS Beaufort identified 28 on-base areas where releases of PFAS may have occurred.
Cleanup on the Beaufort base will likely involve a pump and treat system, where groundwater is pumped through a treatment process, MCAS Beaufort has said.
This story was originally published April 19, 2023 at 10:40 AM.
