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Community PFAS Testing
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
WOBURN
You might have seen recent news reports about per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (together abbreviated as PFAS). These are 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.
Woburn tested using extremely sensitive analytical methods for 18 different PFAS compunds using a MassDEP approved laboratory and methods. MassDEP has proposed regulating the first six compounds shown 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 found evidence that some of these chemicals are in our water at low levels.
The results are below the regulatory levels being considered by MassDEP for drinking water.
PFAS Test Results for Woburn
| 2023 - Quarter 4 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| October 2023 | 22.9 |
| November 2023 | 22.3 |
| December 2023 | 17.8 |
* Quarterly Average: 21 * 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. |
|
| 2023 - Quarter 3 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| July 2023 | 19.5 |
| August 2023 | 21.3 |
| September 2023 | 19.6 |
* Quarterly Average: 20.1 * 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. |
|
| 2023 - Quarter 2 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| June 2023 | 14.2 |
| May 2023 | 11.2 |
| April 2023 | 11.4 |
* Quarterly Average: 12.3 * 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. |
|
| 2023 - Quarter 1 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| March 2023 | 11.8 |
| February 2023 | 12.2 |
| January 2023 | 12.3 |
* Quarterly Average: 12.1 * 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. |
|
| 2022 - Quarter 4 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| December 2022 | 14.3 |
| November 29, 2022 | 16.6 |
| November 3, 2022 | 22.3 |
| October 2022 | 17.6 |
* Quarterly Average: 17 * 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. |
|
| 2022 - Quarter 3 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| September 30, 2022 | 21.3 |
| September 1, 2022 | 23.9 |
| August 2022 | 20.6 |
| July 2022 | 22 |
* Quarterly Average: 22 * 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. |
|
| 2022 - Quarter 2 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| June 2022 | 18 |
| May 2022 | 17 |
| April 2022 | 11.6 |
* Quarterly Average: 15.5 * 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. |
|
| 2022 - Quarter 1 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| March 9, 2022 | 12.8 |
| February 24, 2022 | 12 |
| January 31, 2022 | 13.2 |
| January 20, 2022 | 15.4 |
* Quarterly Average: 13 * 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. |
|
| 2021 - Quarter 4 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| December 29, 2021 | 19.9 |
| December 14, 2021 | 19.6 |
| November 12, 2021 | 19.8 |
| October 29, 2021 | 27.1 |
* Quarterly Average: 21.6 * 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. |
|
| 2021 - Quarter 3 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| September 28, 2021 | 26.4 |
| September 24, 2021 | 20.1 |
| August 31, 2021 | 20.1 |
| August 5, 2021 | 27.6 |
| July 26, 2021 | 25.3 |
* Quarterly Average: 23.9 * 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. |
|
| 2021 - Quarter 2 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| June 15, 2021 | 23.8 |
| May 28, 2021 | 12.4 |
| April 23, 2021 | 12.1 |
* Quarterly Average: 16.1 * 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. |
|
| 2021 - Quarter 1 | Quarterly Average (ppt) |
|---|---|
| March 11, 2021 | 16.1 |
| February 26, 2021 | 13.1 |
| January 22, 2021 | 10.9 |
* 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. |
|
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | Horn Pond Treatment Plant - 10/7/19 |
|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | 1.81 |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | Trace |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 6.39 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | 7.15 |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | Trace |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | Not Detected |
| Compare to proposed MassDEP standard of 20 ppt for the sum of these six compounds* | 17.1 |
* 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 | 3.13 |
| PFHxA | 1.78 |
| NEtFOSAA | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | Not Detected |
| PFTeDA | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | Not Detected |
| Adona | Not Detected |
| PFPO-DA | Not Detected |