On June 5th, 2023, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued an announcement regarding the posting in the New Jersey Register that enacts interim groundwater, migration to groundwater, and soil leachate remediation standards for hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid and its ammonium salt (commonly referred to as GenX chemicals).
GenX chemicals are part of a bigger group of substances called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS substances have been used for decades within industrial processes, certain types of firefighting foams, and consumer products like fabric protectors. These synthetic chemicals have been found in New Jersey soil and ground water, including, but not limited to, domestic potable wells and other environmental media such as surface water, sediment, and air.
Initially, NJDEP issued Ground Water Quality Standards (N.J.A.C. 7:9C) for PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS during 2018 to 2020. On October 17th, 2022, the Department established interim residential and interim nonresidential soil remediation standards for the ingestion-dermal exposure pathway for PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, and GenX, as well as interim soil remediation standards and soil leachate remediation standards for the migration to ground water exposure pathway for PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS.
Effective immediately, the updated interim ground water quality criteria is 0.020 ug/l and the soil remediation standards are as follows. Please note the highlighted portion reflects the changes that were made from the initial October 17th, 2022 release:
| Containment | CAS No. | Soil Remediation Standard: Ingestion-Dermal Residential (mg/kg)¹ | Soil Remediation Standard: Ingestion-Dermal Nonresidential (mg/kg)¹ | Soil Remediation Standard: Migration to Groundwater (mg/kg)¹ | Soil Leachate Remediation Standard: Migration to Groundwater (µg/L)² |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | 375-95-1 | 0.047 | 0.67 | AOC/Site-Specific³ | 0.26 |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 335-67-1 | 0.13 | 1.8 | AOC/Site-Specific³ | 0.28 |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) | 1763-23-1 | 0.11 | 1.6 | AOC/Site-Specific³ | 0.26 |
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid and its ammonium salt (GenX) | 13252-13-6 & 62037-80-3 | 0.23 | 3.9 | AOC/Site-Specific³ | 0.40 |
1mg/kg is equivalent to parts per million (ppm).
2µg/L is equivalent to parts per billion (ppb).
3To be calculated using Synthetic Precipitation Leachate Procedure (SPLP) and the Department’s PFAS SPLP Calculator.
We Can Help
For over 35 years, Whitman has helped clients with the investigation, remediation and regulatory compliance for sites under NJDEP programs. This has included cases where NJDEP has issued new remediation related standards.
Contact
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact:
Michael Metlitz, LSRP
Principal
mmetlitz@whitmanco.com
(732) 390-5858
Posted on June 9th, 2023
