2022 - 2023 Monitoring Report, Procurement and Processing of Environmental Samples for PFAS Analysis along River Lee and Cork Harbour
Summary: Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of man-made chemicals widely used in industrial and consumer products due to their water and oil resistance, chemical and heat stability, friction reduction and surfactant properties. They can be found in many everyday products, including outdoor clothing and also in fire-fighting foams but can have harmful effects on human health and the environment.
The Environmental Protection Agency commissioned a sampling study of PFAS in surface water and sediment at 15 sites along the River Lee, Cork Harbour, and tributaries in 2022-2023. Sampling was conducted quarterly and analysed for a range of PFAS compounds. A total of 142 water and 39 sediment samples were taken and analysed.
Results show no detections at two sampling locations on the River Lee to the west of Cork City. PFAS were detected at all other sampling locations on at least one sampling occasion, with PFOS being the most frequently detected type of PFAS.
Sediment samples revealed sporadic PFAS detections. While the report comments on international screening levels for PFAS in soil, there are no relevant EU or Irish environmental assessment criteria against which to compare these results.
The report recommends further investigation of sites that could potentially fail environmental quality standards (EQS) to identify the source(s) of PFAS contamination and assess whether they pose a risk to human health and the environment.
Separate to this once off study, monitoring for PFAS in the Cork area commenced in 2019 and is ongoing as part of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) monitoring programme. For details see the latest EPA report Water Quality in Ireland 2019-2024 which covers PFOS EQS exceedances in the study area and sources of contamination.
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