Delaware • New Jersey • Pennsylvania
New York • United States of America
- Aquatic Life Designated Use Study
- Bacteria Monitoring
- Biomonitoring Program
- Chlorides Monitoring
- Contaminants of Emerging Concern
- Delaware Estuary Water Quality Monitoring Program
- Dissolved Oxygen and Nutrients
- Modeling
- Other Monitoring Programs & Studies (e.g., Fish Tissue, Microplastics, Metals)
- PCBs and PMPs
- Special Protection Waters (SPW)
- Water Resource Data Sets
- What are PFAS?
- PFAS Monitoring in the Delaware River Basin
- Reports & Presentations by DRBC
- Related Resources
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of compounds that have varying degrees of persistence, toxicity and bioaccumulation in the environment.
The most produced and studied of the PFAS are Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).
PFAS have unique properties to repel both water and oil. They are found in a variety of industrial and household products such as stain repellant textiles, fire-fighting foams and paper coatings.
While there is still much to be learned about the effects of PFAS on human and ecological health, potential impacts to people from drinking water or eating exposed fish make them a concern.
The DRBC is working with the USEPA, Basin states and others to understand and manage these contaminants of emerging concern.
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DRBC staff pull a sediment sample from the Delaware River to monitor for PFAS. Photo by DRBC. |
The DRBC has investigated PFAS in Delaware River fish tissue since 2004, in surface water since 2007 and in sediment since 2016.
Why does the DRBC Collect PFAS Data?
• To identify occurrences and potential sources of PFAS;
• To understand risks to designated uses (e.g., source water protection, fish consumption advisories, maintenance and propagation of fish and other aquatic life); and
• To evaluate the efficacy of regulatory and management strategies in reducing exposure and risks from PFAS.
What Do the Data Show?
• Surface water concentrations of PFAS appear to be below regional and national guidelines in areas designated as drinking water sources.
• While significant decreases in some PFAS compounds have been observed in fish species, reduction in concentrations of other PFAS, such as PFOS, in fish tissue has been less substantial.
• Sediment from the tidal main stem Delaware River have long-chain PFAS detected at low concentrations.
Further evaluation of risk to human health and wildlife is warranted in the Delaware River.
Current Monitoring Efforts
In FY 2021 and FY 2022, the DRBC is collecting samples of surface water, sediment, fish and bluecrabs in the mainstem Delaware River, between Narrowsburg, N.Y. and Salem River, N.J., to monitor for 40 different analytes of PFAS. Several tributaries will also be sampled.
Data collected will be used by DRBC and other state and government agencies as the scientific basis for the development of future PFAS reduction strategies and will inform fish consumption advisories.
This project is being supported with grant funding from the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, Pennsylvania Coastal Zone Management and the U.S. EPA.
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DRBC staff collects a surface water sample from the Delaware River to monitor for PFAS. Photo by DRBC. |
DRBC staff collects a sediment sample from the Delaware River to monitor for PFAS. Photo by DRBC. |
DRBC staff collects a surface water sample from the Delaware River to monitor for PFAS. Photo by DRBC. |
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DRBC staff collected several species of fish, including catfish, from the Delaware River to monitor for PFAS. Photo by DRBC. |
DRBC staff collected blue crabs from the Delaware Bay to monitor for PFAS. Photo by DRBC. |
DRBC staff collected several species of fish, including catfish, from the Delaware River to monitor for PFAS. Photo by DRBC. |
Another project, funded by a grant from the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection, will conduct a research study to focus on PFAS in the Delaware River Estuary.
The DRBC works with its various advisory committees (e.g., the TAC, MACC and WQAC) to solicit input from experts and stakeholders in the Basin on how to improve its monitoring program.
Reports/Publications
- Temporal Trends of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Delaware River Fish, USA (September 2020 paper authored by DRBC staff published in Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2021;17:411–421. Full citation: MacGillivray, A.R. (2021) Temporal trends of PFAS in Delaware River Fish, USA. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. 17(2) 411-421)
Presentations Given
- DRBC PFAS Monitoring Update (pdf; presentation given at the DRBC TAC Meeting, June 2022)
- PFAS in Surface Water, Sediment and Fish from the Delaware River (pdf; presentation given at the SETAC Regional Spring Meeting, April 2022)
- PFAS in Surface Water, Sediment and Fish from the Delaware River (pdf; presentation given at the DRBC TAC Meeting, January 2022)
- PFAS in Surface Water and Fish (pdf 653 KB; presentation given at a webinar "PFAS Uses and Alternatives," hosted by the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association, April 2021)
- PFAS Monitoring (pdf 742 KB; presentation given at the DRBC TAC Meeting, January 2021)
- PFAS in Surface Water, Sediment, and Fish from the Delaware River (pdf 1.2 MB; presentation given at the 2019 NJWEA Conference)
- PFAS in Surface Water, Sediment, and Fish from the Delaware River (pdf 1.54 MB; presentation given at the AWRA Annual Conference, November 2018)
- PFAS in Surface Water and Fish Tissue from the Delaware River (pdf 773 KB; presentation given at the American Chemical Society's (ACS) National Meeting and Exposition, August 2016)
- Summary Video of PFAS Presentation (mp4 309 MB; video courtesy of ACS Scientific Video Lab)
- Summary Video of PFAS Presentation (mp4 309 MB; video courtesy of ACS Scientific Video Lab)
- Perfluorinated Chemicals: Emerging Drinking Water Contaminants (pdf 5.3 MB) - Presented by Gloria Post, Ph.D., DABT, N.J. Dept. of Environmental Protection, at the June 5, 2013 Toxics Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting
- PFCs in Fish Tissue in the Delaware River (pdf 1.4 MB; presentation given at Nov. 2009 National Forum on Contaminants in Fish)
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR): PFAS and Your Health
- American Water Works Association: PFAS - Contaminants of Emerging Concern
- Aqua America: Water Facts
- Association of State Drinking Water Administrators: PFAS
- Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control: PFAS
- Department of Defense: Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base: Willow Grove
- Environmental Working Group: PFAS Contamination in the U.S.
- Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council: PFAS
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: PFAS
- New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection: PFAS
- NJDEP: Drinking Water Facts - PFAS in Drinking Water (pdf)
- New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation: PFAS
- Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (PADEP): PFAS
- PADEP: Anglers Warned to Not Eat Fish from Neshaminy Creek Basin: Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) risk from all species (October 13, 2021)
- Philadelphia Water Department: PFAS
- US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA): PFAS
- USEPA: Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS
- USEPA: Technical Fact Sheet – Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
- USGS: Integrated Science for the Study of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Environment—A Strategic Science Vision for the U.S. Geological Survey (2021)
- USGS: Groundwater Withdrawals & Regional Groundwater-Flow Paths near Willow Grove & Warminster, Bucks & Montgomery Counties, Pa. (presentation given at Feb. 2020 DRBC WMAC meeting; pdf)
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P.O. Box 7360, West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360
Phone (609)883-9500; Fax (609)883-9522
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