New Mexico Groundwater Conference
The American Ground Water Trust (AGWT) New Mexico Groundwater Conference is taking place on July 10 and 11, followed by the New Mexico Water Well Workshop on July 12, 2024, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
DBS&A Senior Biologist Jean-Luc Cartron, PhD, will be presenting on Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Contamination of Wildlife at Holloman Lake: Record-High Blood and Tissue Levels and Implications for Human Health. DBS&A Geochemist Chris Wolf, PG, will be presenting on Predicting Water Quality Issues with Geophysics and Geochemistry Prior to Supply Well Construction at the Conference, and will also present on Understanding Your Aquifer and Well Through Water Level Monitoring and Aquifer Testing during the Water Well Workshop.
The conference is focused on landowners, groundwater end-users, regulators, management agencies, scientists, engineers, lawyers, and citizens who have economic or environmental interests in water resources. DBS&A is a corporate sponsor of AGWT and will be exhibiting at the event. The objective of the Water Well Workshop is to provide information on the latest practical, cost-effective and innovative solutions to help maintain well efficiency, maximize yield potential, and secure long-term supply sustainability and water quality, while meeting the rules & regulations of the State of New Mexico.
Presentation Abstracts
PFAS contamination of wildlife at Holloman Lake: record-high blood and tissue levels and implications for human health
Jean-Luc E. Cartron1, 2, Christopher C. Witt2, Jonathan L. Dunnum2, Chauncey R. Gadek2, Joseph A. Cook2, and Andrew B. Johnson2
1 Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc.
2 University of New Mexico Museum of Southwestern Biology
In the last decade, PFAS contamination has been detected in groundwater, surface water, soils, and sediments at Holloman Air Force Base (AFB) in Otero County, New Mexico. From 2021 to 2023, we collected 99 liver, blood, and muscle samples from 74 different animals to study wildlife PFAS contamination at a wastewater lake located on the base and known as an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area. Twenty of the twenty-three bird and mammal species sampled were heavily contaminated, representing middle trophic levels and aquatic to wetland to desert microhabitats, potentially implicating multiple pathways for PFAS uptake. Of particular concern were findings of very high levels of PFOS and other compounds in duck species that are hunted locally and at other wetlands in New Mexico. Continuous movement of waterfowl between Holloman Lake and other bodies of water within the region raises the possibility that hunters elsewhere may also be exposed to contaminated duck meat. Contamination of large game mammals (oryx and pronghorn) is also possible at Holloman Lake and downgradient where animals drink at stock tanks filled with water from possibly contaminated wells. Research continues to better identify PFAS exposure and migration pathways and health-related risks to humans and human communities. Read more on the topic.
Predicting Water Quality Issues with Geophysics and Geochemistry Prior to Supply Well Construction
Christopher Wolf, PG
For new water supply wells, water quality is an important design factor. When selecting production zones for screen intervals, individual geologic units may adversely water quality. If water quality is a potential issue, the application of geophysics and geochemistry in the borehole prior to well construction can help avoid future water quality problems. Geophysics can help identify lithologic units that may contribute to poor water quality. Geochemical samples collected during zone testing can be used to identify elements like arsenic or uranium that have concentrations above numeric water quality standards. In northern New Mexico, the Sangre de Cristo Sandstone was deposited in a fluvial environment and contains arkosic sandstones that contain uranium. For water well projects, the application of geophysics and geochemistry has successfully identified these types of sandstones and guided well completion to avoid water quality problems. Zone testing from different aquifers in New Mexico are presented as examples.