PFOS & PFAS Assessment and Remediation

Geo-Logix has specialist expertise in assessing and remediating PFOS/PFOA impacted sites. Projects at various aviation facilities and fire-fighting training sites in NSW and Queensland have generated significant experience in the complexities of investigating and managing PFAS compounds while national guidelines for assessment and remediation are still under development.

PFAS remediation is challenging given the persistence of these compounds and their potential to travel off-site. Geo-Logix is supporting research in new remedial technologies and currently involved in trials of cutting edge techniques to reduce the concentration of PFAS compounds in water. We have also established new assessment protocols to take account of the variety of interactions PFAS compounds have with soil, sediment, ground and surface water.

PFAS Services

• Soil, ground and surface water contamination assessment
• Human health and ecological risk assessment
• Remediation strategies
• Due diligence advice for site acquisition/disposal
• Statutory and non-statutory environmental audits in NSW, QLD, ACT and NT

Contact: Ben Pearce, Environmental Scientist and Geo-Logix Principal at bpearce@geo-logix.com.au

What are PFAS compounds?
Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are described as ‘emerging contaminants’ within the environmental industry. They are man-made compounds that have been used in hundreds of manufacturing and industrial applications since the 1950s and are broadly detected in the environment.

PFAS have been shown to have toxic effects in some animals, and because they do not break down, can bioaccumulate in both animals and humans. In Australia and internationally, there is growing focus on the potential health and environmental risks of PFAS. The attention given to PFAS contamination from fire-fighting chemicals used at Williamtown RAAF Base, Oakey and the Gold Coast Airport has highlighted the rising public concern regarding human exposure to PFAS.

Although potential PFAS contamination is most readily associated with airports, military bases, and fire-fighting facilities in Australia, it can also be present at industrial sites such as those used for chrome-plating, petrochemical storage and textile manufacturing. At present, Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are recognised as the two compounds of concern, however, the latest scientific evidence suggests that other PFAS compounds may also have potential to cause adverse health effects.