Provision of Laboratory Support Services to the PFAS Investigations and Management Program

Defence used Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) on the Defence estate between 1970 and circa 2005 to suppress liquid fuel fires.AFFF acts quickly by smothering fuel when a thin film of foam forms on the fuel, stopping contact with oxygen. Historically, AFFF contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

The historical use of AFFF across the Defence estate has resulted in PFAS contamination, with preliminary investigations at some Defence properties showing that some adjacent property areas have also been impacted.

Defence has implemented a National program of detailed environmental investigations to identify and document the nature and extent of the contamination at selected Defence sites nationally.

Defence intends to directly engage analytical laboratories who will work in collaboration with its environmental investigators to conduct analyses of PFAS and other contaminants.