Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID GU_2024_Kim1

PFAS movement patterns in groundwater caused by the pumping activity of production wells

Institute: Guam
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $44,155 Total Non-Federal Funds: Not available

Principal Investigators: Yong Sang Kim, Mallary Duenas

Project Summary: Saipan, the largest island in the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), boasts an estimated total population of 43,000. Over 50% of its 140 production wells are strategically located near Saipan International Airport (SIA), housing the Airport Rescue Firefighting Facility (ARFF). Following the detection of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and other PFAS compounds, a total of 10 wells near the SIA site were closed between 2016 and 2020. During this timeframe, a notable migration of PFAS was observed toward wells in the Northeast, suggesting that alterations in groundwater pumping patterns facilitated PFAS migration away from the ARFF. In 2021, 10 previously closed production wells were reactivated after the installation of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters. These wells are situated close to the ARFF area. Consequently, the reactivation of previously shuttered wells may once again influence the pattern of PFAS migration. In the preceding study, 18 PFAS compounds, including six from the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3) PFAS compounds, were earmarked for analysis from water samples. PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxA) emerged as the frequently detected PFAS compounds. Therefore, monitoring efforts will persist for these seven PFAS compounds. In 2023, the initiation of the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5), including 29 PFAS compounds, commenced. Consequently, the detection and movement of UCMR5 PFAS compounds will also be assessed in correlation with the pumping activity of the production wells.