Report on PFAS threats revealed

HARMFUL substances from firefighting foam known to leach into water and soil could be added to an annual water health assessment.

Terrain NRM’s Wet Tropics Healthy Waterways partnership manager Greg Vinall said he would like to see PFAS or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, levels monitored as part of the Wet Tropics Report Card.

Mr Vinall, representatives from Cairns Airport, the state environment and health departments as well as members of the public were among about a dozen people to attend yesterday’s question and answer session run by Airservices Australia at the Cairns Aviation Skills Centre.

A preliminary report handed down by Airservices Australia into PFAS contamination levels at Cairns Airport from firefighting foam, used by the organisation until 2010, indicated there was little risk to human health.

“The PFAS concentrations detected off-airport including in fish in the Barron River, in surface water and in sediment were below human health guideline levels indicating there is no adverse risk to human health from the consumption of fishing from the river or from recreational use adjacent to the airport,” the report found.

While some PFAS was found to have contaminated groundwater on the airport site, that was not likely to be used for human consumption.

However, further investigations are ongoing and a detailed site investigation by Airservices Australia is expected to start early next year.

Mr Vinall said he was confident that due process had been followed and external contractors had been engaged to complete part of the investigations.

“The early results are encouraging,” he said. “It’s not unusual for a company to do its own investigations first.

“We don’t monitor PFAS but I would like them to be part of our water monitoring. I’m less interested in the concentration of PFAS in the water now and more with how that will change over time.”

Airservices Australia representatives would not comment on the report. An airport spokeswoman encouraged the community to seek advice from Airservices Australia or the state departments of health and environment.