PFAS ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
PSK has experience in the assessment and management of PFAS contaminated sites.
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, are manufactured chemicals that have been widely used in the production of various household and industrial products since the 1950s.
More than 4,730 different PFAS compounds are known to exist, with PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS being the most frequently well known and studied. These three PFAS are part of a broader group known as PFAAs, which resist physical, chemical and biological degradation, and are very stable and therefore are able to last in the environment for a long time.
A wide range of other PFAS, known as precursors, can transform into PFAAs in products in the environment, and are also considered environmentally significant. The high solubility of PFAS in water means that PFAS may readily mobilise from soil to surface water and groundwater, where they can enter creeks, rivers and lakes. Due to their chemically stability, they can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in some wildlife, including fish, thus entering the human food chain.
