Emerging Contaminants and the Environment

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, or PFAS, are a suite of more than 4,000 human-made chemicals widely used in homes, businesses, and industry for their non-stick, stain-repellant, and water-resistant properties. Some examples of PFAS in consumer goods include non-stick cookware, water-resistant or waterproof clothing, stain-resistant carpeting, waxes, cosmetics, lubricants, paints, cleaning products, and food packaging.

Because PFAS are found in many consumer, commercial, and industrial products and processes, they are also present in the environment, including food, water, and soil. Around the country, contamination has typically been traced to specific locations where large amounts of PFAS have been released into the environment over time, including industries that manufacture PFAS, apply it to consumer goods, or facilities that use PFAS for other uses and processes.

The Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant is not a source of PFAS. However, it receives and treats wastewater from industries, commercial businesses, and residents. PFAS can make their way into the environment because of their widespread use in many products. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to treat for PFAS.

Communities with lower use of products with PFAS in them and those with no heavy industrial PFAS producers or users have lower concentrations of PFAS in wastewater and biosolids. On average, municipal wastewater and biosolids are not linked to high PFAS concentrations, nor are they a primary pathway of exposure to people.

We recognize the public's concerns about PFAS and actively monitor emerging science and best practices as they evolve.

We know that PFAS are present in wastewater and biosolids due to their widespread use in household, commercial, and industrial products. Wastewater treatment plants do not use or produce PFAS, so the best way to address PFAS is to remove the sources through product substitution and phasing out the use of products containing PFAS. The City has conducted sampling to better understand where in the city PFAS may be entering the wastewater system, with the goal of working with industry to reduce PFAS use and discharge.

Environmental Services is dedicated to aligning our practices with evolving regulatory guidance and science and is closely following the work of the EPA and DEQ to do so. 

Environmental Services continues to identify industries associated with PFAS use that discharge to the wastewater system. We’ve conducted outreach to local businesses to inform them of forthcoming regulations and share best practices for managing PFAS.

You can help Environmental Services protect our streams, rivers, and groundwater from PFAS. We encourage you to learn more about how PFAS are used in household products. As consumers, we must be proactive and understand that purchasing products that contain PFAS and the day-to-day contact with these materials is a source of exposure and contributes to PFAS in the environment.

The best way to prevent PFAS from entering our streams, rivers, and groundwater is to remove the sources through product substitution and to phase out products containing PFAS in industrial and manufacturing processes.

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size. They can be created for use in industrial or commercial products, and are also created when larger plastic items, such as packaging, textiles, and other synthetic materials, break down through use, wear, or weathering. Common sources of microplastics include synthetic clothing fibers, single-use plastics, food packaging, and tire wear particles from vehicles.

Currently, the EPA is still evaluating the best methods for measuring microplastics in stormwater and wastewater, which is an important step in researching the impacts of microplastics on public health and the environment. As testing methods are standardized and research progresses, EPA and DEQ may require testing for microplastics in stormwater and wastewater. At this time, microplastics are not regulated, and there is limited data on how microplastics behave in the environment.

Environmental Services follows regulatory developments and best practices and will follow guidance as needed.

Because wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove microplastics, addressing the problem requires source control—reducing the amount of plastic that enters the system in the first place. This includes:

• Reducing plastic use in consumer products and packaging
• Reducing single-use plastics, such as plastic utensils and cups
• Improving waste management through recycling and litter reduction

Stormwater, which can carry plastics from urban surfaces into waterways, may benefit from green infrastructure like bioswales and rain gardens (called green streets in Portland), which can help capture some microplastics before they reach rivers and streams. Environmental Services incorporates green infrastructure into its stormwater management strategy and continues to monitor emerging science in this area.

Individual actions can help reduce microplastic pollution. For example, since a significant portion of the microplastics in wastewater treatment plants comes from clothing fibers, installing a simple, inexpensive microplastics filter on your home washing machine can significantly reduce the amount entering the wastewater system.

Additionally, you can help by properly disposing of plastic waste, supporting recycling programs, and reducing single-use plastics in everyday life.

The EPA recently finalized a National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (November 2024), and Environmental Services looks forward to following elements of this strategy in wastewater and stormwater management.