Testing has identified PFAS in the groundwater at some properties affected by contamination from run off at the old waste disposal site on Rendezvous Road.
PFAS are per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances containing fluorine chemicals which have been used since the 1950’s to manufacture products which resist heat, oil and water.
Residents from 18 properties were notified not to use their bores because noxious chemicals had leached into the groundwater from a historical unlined landfill.
On behalf of the City of Busselton, an independent consultant is undertaking testing and results are relayed to affected residents and property owners.
From the 1970’s to the mid-2000’s, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation stated that PFAS was commonly used to fight fires and for firefighting training.
A number of PFAS contaminated sites have been identified in WA including firefighting training sites, airports, fuel sites, defence sites and fire stations.
The city have advised the levels of PFAS identified were considerably less than what had been identified at defence and airport sites.
While PFAS has shown to be toxic to some animals, an independent expert health panel established by the Australian Government concluded there was limited evidence to suggest human exposure was linked to disease.
DWER stated on their website that PFAS were persistent in the environment, soluble and could be transported long distances. PFAS could also be transferred between soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater.
According to the department, PFAS could be toxic to some animals, because the substance broke down slowly, increasing in some wildlife. Fish and animals higher in the food chain may gain higher concentration levels of PFAS.
Research into potential health effects of PFAS is ongoing around the world. To date there isn’t enough information to definitively say what, if any, health effects may be caused by PFAS.
The Australian Government response to PFAS contamination has included reducing exposure from contaminated drinking water, counselling, funding a study into health effects and providing access to free blood tests. 3
The government is about to launch a parliamentary inquiry to examine its management of PFAS contamination in and around defence bases in Australia.
The expert health panel report is available on the Department of Health’s website.
