Suspected contamination source: Firefighting foam used at Delaware Air National Guard Base at New Castle County Airport (Mordock, 2016)
Levels found in the public wells ranged as high as 2300 ppt for PFOS in New Castle’s wells, and as high as 1800 ppt in Artesian’s water two wells*. Both chemicals were detected at slightly higher rates in the city’s well than those reported for Artesian.
Contamination is suspected to be from fire-fighting foams (AFFF) used at the nearby Delaware Air National Guard Base at New Castle Airport, where one PFOS sample at the Air National Guard base was 7900 ppt.
*In 2016 the EPA established a lifetime health advisory of 70ppt for PFOA and PFOS combined
Additional Resources
New Castle Municipal Services Commission
Media Coverage:
- Toxic water may cost New Castle $1 million
- New Castle caps chemical-fouled water wells
- In Delaware, C8 contamination blamed on firefighting foam
Full citations are available on the second page of the full contamination site tracker. We ask for your additions, changes, questions and comments be sent to pfasproject@gmail.com.