PFAS Impacts to Stormwater Management Basins
Focus Area
Waste Management/Recycling/Brownfields
Subcommittee
Natural Resources
Status
Current
Cost
$250k-$499k
Timeframe
1-2 years
Research Idea Scope
The draft findings of NCHRP Project: 20-05/Topic 54-01 Practices to Identify and Mitigate PFAS Impacts on Highway Construction Projects and Maintenance Operations included recommendations to 1) develop a comprehensive guidance document for DOTs outlining PFAS regulations from states, landfills, and the federal government; tools for identifying likely sites of PFAS contamination; standard methods and protocols for chemical screening of contamination; and means for mitigating and remediating PFAS and 2) Comprehensive soil leaching studies of soil using landfill leachate should be conducted to determine if soil disposal in landfills truly presents a liability for higher PFAS concentrations in leachate. In addition to these important recommendations, additional research related to potential PFAS impacts to stormwater basin sediment based on adjacent land use is also needed to assist DOTs in developing programmatic guidance to address BMP maintenance and sediment management options. This research would build upon and expand to a DOT setting the recent research findings from the USGS, Maryland Department of the Environment, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County that identified PFAS in 63 stormwater basin sediment samples related to various land-use scenarios.
Urgency and Payoff
PFAS is an emerging contaminate of concern that will impact DOT operations. BMP maintenance is an important element of DOT operations and based on the recent USGS findings, it is important to have an understanding of whether the impact to BMP sediment extends to a DOT land-use. The findings from this research will assist DOT to better formulate management plans for BMP sediment cleanout operations.
Submitted
06/05/2023