PFAS compounds have turned up in the soil and groundwater in several parts of Michigan. Researchers want to know how far the chemicals will spread and how quickly they will move. It's one of several topics likely to be discussed at a meeting on PFAS research at Western Michigan University on Thursday.
John Yellich is the director of the Michigan Geological Survey at Western. Yellich, who will give a presentation at the session, says the Survey hopes to get state funding to study groundwater sources at risk of contamination.
“One of the limitations that we have here in Michigan is that we have not been mapping the glacial geology in sufficient detail so that we can identify where that contaminant is going once it gets into the groundwater,” he said.
Matt Reeves, an associate professor in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Western, will also present at the meeting. He’s a specialist in hydrogeology, and he would like to study the plumes at two highly contaminated sites in Oscoda and the Belmont area. He submitted a proposal to the Environmental Protection Agency last month and expects to hear in April whether it has been approved.
Reeves says one thing that is known about PFAS compounds is that they tend not to stick to sediments.
“It can move very quickly through the system and can be very influenced by the type of deposits that are in the system, and it can move at accelerated rates compared to other contaminants,” he said.
Reeves adds that more PFAS sites are likely to turn up around the country, but he says a lack of federal funding is “hampering” PFAS research.
