Legacy contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is posing serious risks to airports worldwide, threatening operations, delaying development, and raising regulatory scrutiny. PFAS—a class of over 15,000 human-made chemicals—are valued for their mobility and stability but are notorious for their persistence in the environment and harmful impacts on people and ecosystems.
Airports are a major source of PFAS pollution due to their historical use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) in firefighting and training. In the U.K., Ministry of Defense testing at Royal Air Force Benson revealed 7,700 nanograms per liter of PFAS in groundwater—well above the 100 ng/L limit for drinking water. Similar contamination has been reported at other RAF sites. Regulatory responses are accelerating:
- 24 commercial airports in the U.K. have been ordered to test effluent for PFAS.
- Australia is investing AU$130.5 million ($86M) into a PFAS investigation program at 37 civilian airports by 2027.
- In the U.S., the California Water Board ordered 27 airports to investigate PFAS contamination in 2019.
AFFF’s effectiveness at suppressing jet fuel fires led to its widespread use, but PFAS compounds’ water solubility and chemical stability allow them to migrate far beyond original release sites, contaminating soil, groundwater, and stormwater systems. This long-term mobility creates financial, operational, and reputational risks for airport operators.
Challenges for Airport PFAS Management
- Redevelopment delays when contamination is uncovered mid-project.
- Tenant reluctance to assess or address historical PFAS contributions.
- Diffuse contamination sources complicating responsibility assignment.
- Forensic limitations in identifying precise sources due to chemical similarities between products.
Jacobs’ Four-Part PFAS Remediation Framework
To address these challenges, Jacobs has implemented a comprehensive, standardized approach:
- Standardized investigation framework for consistent design and benchmarking.
- Harmonized sampling strategies to ensure comparability across sites.
- PFluorensicsSM, a proprietary data evaluation tool to identify PFAS sources and trends.
- Centralized PFAS database to enable transparency and stakeholder coordination.
This framework has been applied to over 90 U.S. Navy installations and major PFAS programs across Australia and Canada.
The path forward requires airportsto align sampling protocols, leverage advanced analytics, and centralize PFAS data. By doing so, they can protect public health, meet tightening environmental regulations, and secure sustainable future operations.
