STO-Activities: (no title)
Activity title:
PFAS In Soil and Water: Mitigation, Remediation and Risk Management for NATO Members
Activity Reference:
AVT-HFM-403
Panel:
AVT
Security Classification:
NATO UNCLASSIFIED
Status:
Planning
Activity type:
RTG
Start date:
2024-05-01T00:00:00Z
Actual End date:
2027-04-30T00:00:00Z
Keywords:
Contamination, Mitigation, PFAS, Remediation, Risk Management
Background:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals some of which have been shown to have the defining characteristics of persistent organic pollutants: they are toxic, resistant to degradation, bioaccumulate in food chains and have long half-lives in humans. The most common PFAS include perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and were identified for elimination in the Stockholm Convention. While PFAS may be included in various industrial and consumer products, these chemicals are also included in specific types of firefighter foam used by NATO member nations and ally countries. PFAS contamination has been documented in soil, surface water and/or groundwater at many defence establishments and is often linked to the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) firefighter foam. Given the low guidelines for drinking water and other mediums through which human and ecological health can become negatively impacted, any location where AFFF was sprayed, spilled, released, or disposed of, could be an area of potential environmental concern.
Even though the toxic effects and contamination potential of PFAS have been suspected for several years, many countries continue to struggle with the presence of PFAS in the environment due to the lack of proven remediation options and continued gaps in understanding of PFAS fate and transport. Inadequate management of the issue will increase the cost of solutions whereas institutional credibility of the defence community is already being negatively impacted. While the presence of PFAS in soil and water is creating global public health and environmental issues, many of the associated challenges facing the defence community may be addressed with a collective approach, including increased awareness, adaptation, and risk management.
Objectives:
The Research Task Group (RTG) will assess the management of PFAS in the environment within member nations and provide recommendations for further work under NATO AVT.
Topics:
The following scientific topics will be covered:
- Decontamination of military support equipment.
- Environmental action following the emergency release of AFFF.
- Environmental management of soil and water exposed to PFAS including prevention of the spread of PFAS contamination during operations and handling/treatment of PFAS contamination.
- Environmental remediation and risk management of sites exposed to PFAS.
Contact:
Open2Partners:
Title:
Created at 20/11/2023 17:00 by System Account
Last modified at 16/05/2024 08:00 by System Account
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