Piloting a New Dashboard for Tracking PFAS for U.S. Air Force

The Department of Defense (DOD) has been working diligently to understand and reduce the spread of PFAS contamination at military bases nationwide. This is largely due to their use of aqueous film–forming foam (AFFF) to extinguish fires. The DOD has completed thousands of investigations of potentially contaminated sites at 717 active military installations, with many more investigations on the horizon to implement remediation programs. The current challenge faced by the DOD is to analyze all of the data to develop short- and long-term effective remediation programs.

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has been particularly active in mitigating these AFFF releases, which can adversely affect both human health and the environment. The USAF Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) has been investigating the occurrence and environmental distribution of PFAS at sites where AFFF was used. In these efforts the AFCEC identified a critical need for data analytics tools that can more effectively manage large historical and new datasets, in order to build effective conceptual site models (CSMs) in support of remediation decision-making.

Advanced Data Analytics and Forensics Framework (ADAFF)

AFCEC is currently testing CDM Smith's Advanced Data Analytics and Forensics Framework (ADAFF) at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. ADAFF is a process-based framework for compiling, organizing, and integrating data using digital tools for visu­al­iza­tion and inter­pre­ta­tion.

To deliver a streamlined data management and analytics solution incor­po­rat­ing this ADAFF framework, CDM Smith’s subsidiary, Trinnex, implemented dataCAST™ to compile, analyze, and visualize AFCEC data for Dover AFB. dataCAST is a cloud-based platform for managing large and complex data and includes tools for AI and analytics. It provides data presen­ta­tion via spatial and graphical digital dashboards to assess PFAS cont­a­m­i­na­tion at the former fire training area. For this project, dataCAST integrates the data and sampling data from soil, groundwater, and surface water.

The platform integrates 3D Leapfrog modeling to visualize PFAS distri­b­u­tion, fate, and transport to support the risk assessment and selection of remedial tech­nolo­gies. For analytics, dataCAST also includes a custom leaching model to assess leaching of PFAS from the vadose zone to the underlying groundwater table. The leaching model incor­po­rates traditional principals for modelling hydraulic flux in the vadose zone in a simplified, mass balance framework. Like other popular screening models (i.e. EPA-DAF model, Remchlor-MD) this model has been exper­i­men­tally validated and can provide a reasonably accurate approx­i­ma­tion of PFAS mass flux from the vadose zone with minimal data require­ments and less intensive calibration than traditional vadose zone models.

The ADAFF framework enabled by dataCAST achieves three key objectives. First, it sources and compiles data using a "Data Library" (DatLib) platform. Second, it manages and links data. Third, it rein­ter­prets the data using advanced analytics, such as chemical forensics. 

dataCAST allows scientists, engineers, and managers to securely share data and analytics, making it an ideal choice for the ADAFF. As a cloud-based platform with web interface and authen­ti­ca­tion based on username and password, access can be customized for each project with permissions and roles assigned at the user level for clients and consultants as appropriate. dataCAST provides a compre­hen­sive data management solution that enables users to perform multiple calcu­la­tions and visu­al­iza­tions in real-time. Its dashboard analytics can then be used to extract valuable insights and present them in the form of maps, charts, and graphs.

"Overcoming the challenge of managing large amounts of data and presenting it clearly and concisely is essential to the success of PFAS remediation programs. By doing so, we empower decision-makers to take meaningful action and positively impact the environment and the communities we serve,” says Tamzen Macbeth, CDM Smith remediation practice leader.

The ADAFF offers clean, transparent, iterative, and repro­ducible methods and utilizes effective commu­ni­ca­tion tools such as maps, 3D models, charts and graphs, and other interactive visu­al­iza­tions in a dashboard. 

 “We can assist in construct­ing an analytics framework, which includes consol­i­dat­ing your databases, connecting with other available databases such as NOAA's climate data, running diagnostic and inter­pre­tive analytics, and generating easy-to-understand visu­al­iza­tions,” says Macbeth.

The Air Force’s sampling, inves­ti­ga­tion, and response actions are guided by the Compre­hen­sive Envi­ron­men­tal Response, Compen­sa­tion and Liability Act, or "CERCLA," and applicable state and federal regulations. For more information, follow our analysis of the latest changes to CERCLA.