Extensive testing for PFAS in Memphremagog to start

 

by Sylvia C. Dodge

An extensive sampling of Lake Memphremagog for 36 types of PFAS analytes is slated to start in July.  PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl) are chemicals used in the production of household items like non-stick pans, stain-repellant carpets, and waterproof jackets.  They have been dubbed the “forever chemicals”; once released into the environment, they are very difficult to remove from ground and surface water.

Last week, Vermont’s Lakes and Ponds program manager for the Department of Environmental Conservation, Oliver Pierson, was on the telephone with water quality experts in Canada to coordinate efforts to collect PFAS data.  By late autumn, it’s hoped that data from the entire 32-mile-long international lake will be available for study.

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