Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID CNMI_2025_KIM_2

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

Institute: Guam
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $50,154 Total Non-Federal Funds: Not available

Principal Investigators: Yong Sang Kim

Project Summary: Saipan, the largest island in the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), has an estimated population of 43,000. More than 50% of its 140 production wells are strategically located near Saipan International Airport (SIA), which houses the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Facility (ARFF). Following the detection of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and other PFAS compounds, 10 wells near the SIA site were closed between 2016 and 2020. During this period, a notable migration of PFAS was observed toward wells in the northeast, suggesting that changes in groundwater pumping patterns facilitated PFAS movement 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 located near the ARFF area, and their reactivation may once again influence PFAS migration patterns. A previous study analyzed 18 PFAS compounds in water samples, including six regulated under the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3). Among them, PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) were frequently detected. Therefore, monitoring efforts will continue for these seven PFAS compounds. In 2023, the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5) was implemented, adding 29 PFAS compounds to the monitoring list. Currently, PFAS monitoring will continue until 2026, and the detection and movement of UCMR5 PFAS compounds will be assessed in relation to the pumping activity of the production wells.