Researchers hope the study, which shows the results of testing for seven different types of PFAS in household dust, may also help further educate consumers about PFAS. While the synthetic “forever chemicals” have tended to be most prominently associated with drinking water to date, scientists are now discovering that as much as 80% of a person’s exposure to PFAS may stem from use of everyday products.
The 250-acre Perdue plant at the center of the Salisbury investigation contains a soybean-processing plant, a chicken hatchery and a grain-storage facility. MDE detected PFAS in wastewater there in September 2023 as part of a statewide campaign to test potential hot spots. The Perdue concentrations stood out, ranging from below detectable levels to 1,370 parts per trillion. The federal drinking water limit is 4 parts per trillion.
But neither the state nor Perdue notified the public until about a year after the initial discovery. They say it took time to drill additional monitoring wells on the west side of Perdue’s property and gather evidence that the groundwater contamination was migrating off-site.
“That’s when we had the information to inform the [other] property owners,” said Lee Currey, director of MDE’s water and science administration.
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