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ALPENA -- The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is utilizing new technology in the search for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, using drones equipped with forward-looking infrared to locate springs that could carry contaminated water to larger bodies of water.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are manmade chemicals found in a variety of industry and consumer products since the 1950s, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The DEQ stated that PFAS are used in thousands of applications worldwide in products such as food packaging materials and firefighting foam, and are frequently used in tanneries and the clothing industry.
The ATSDR stated that some studies have shown that exposure to PFAS can interfere with the body's hormones, cholesterol levels, child development, the immune system, and fertility. It is also linked to an increase risk of cancer. However, that is still a developing field of study.
Nationally, PFAS contamination has become a major area of concern, leading the DEQ to set new cleanup standards for groundwater used as drinking water. The DEQ standard is 70 parts per trillion for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) combined. According to the DEQ, Michigan is one of the few states that has implemented such a standard.
On Sept. 18, the DEQ announced that it would use a drone equipped with regular cameras and and infrared cameras, flying about 50 to 100 feet above Lake Margrethe in Grayling to search for springs carrying water into the lake.
The Grayling Army Airfield has a training center on the south end of Lake Margrethe, and the DEQ learned about the PFAS site in May of 2017 after the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs contacted the DEQ with positive samples from the airfield.
While the drone footage will not confirm the presence of PFAS, it does allow the DEQ to locate groundwater from the Camp Grayling base that is flowing into surface waters and will help dictate sampling efforts and potential water treatments.
According to a news release from the DEQ, it will be the first time drones have been used to assist in the search for PFAS contamination.
"To the best of our knowledge, this the first time anyone has ever used a … drone in the hunt for potential PFAS contamination," Carol Isaacs, director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team , said. "Like our first-in-the-nation testing of public water systems, this innovative use of technology is another example of MPART's proactive approach to this emerging contaminant."
In Alpena, there are two confirmed sites with PFAS contamination, the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and Alpena Hide and Leather.
According to the State of Michigan website, there are several locations at the CRTC where groundwater has tested above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's health advisory levels for PFAS. It stated that the DEQ is actively overseeing the issue. Of the 115 private wells tested, none tested over the state's 70 ppt criteria.
Testing at Alpena Hide and Leather has been taking place since August 2017 after PFAS were detected in groundwater and soil samples. The state says that, as more data on soil and groundwater is received, officials will further investigate and remedial actions will be identified, if needed.
Randy Rothe from the Remediation and Redevelopment Division of the DEQ said the drone search is part of a pilot program and video will need to be analyzed before any decisions will be made concering its use in other PFAS sites.
Kaitlin Ryan can be reached at kryan@thealpenanews.com or at 358-5693.