Read the full state news release (USGS)
“Contaminants known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, were found to be widely distributed in untreated well water throughout Delaware, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The wells sampled by the USGS all receive groundwater from the Columbia aquifer, which supplies water for more than 90% of the state. The researchers found a variety of types of PFAS in water from 16 of the 30 wells sampled in Delaware; one sample contained eight different types. Those that contained PFAS generally had low concentrations.
The findings are representative of groundwater and not necessarily drinking water, as groundwater can be filtered or treated prior to becoming drinking water.
‘Even though use of some PFAS have been banned, we found that the chemicals are still present in the environment,’ said USGS scientist Betzaida Reyes, the author of the new study. ‘The Columbia aquifer is an important drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of people, and our research will help decision-makers and communities understand how PFAS are impacting the quality of some area groundwater.'”…