How do ‘forever chemicals’ end up in the bay?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, are a group of synthetic compounds that have been detected everywhere: including in water, air, land, food, wildlife, and humans, and even remote and uninhabited locations.
PFAS are included in many common household products (e.g., apparel, food packaging, cosmetics, paints, plastics) and various urban and industrial uses (e.g., surface coatings, firefighting, construction).
Understanding sources of PFAS to marine and freshwater environments is of global importance. Further work is needed to understand the significance of surface water flows as a source of PFAS to aquatic and marine environments.
This project will:
- Provide a better understanding of the dominant pathways which PFAS is delivered to Port Phillip Bay and their relative importance to the bay’s loading.
- Update previous estimates of PFAS loads exported to Port Phillip Bay by completing a comprehensive screen of PFAS in Melbourne’s major waterways.
- Help identify research and management priorities for protecting the bay, its animals and conserving its community value.

To understand the presence and concentrations of PFAS in Melbourne’s major rivers and creeks are and determine loads transported.
To understand the PFAS signatures in surface water and identify potential sources across Melbourne.
To determine the relative contribution of diffuse inputs of PFAS to Port Phillip Bay in comparison to other common point sources.
To determine how we might be able to predict trends in PFAS.