Bioretention effectiveness for 6PPD and PFAS

King County, in collaboration with Whatcom County, is testing the potential for High Performance Bioretention Soil Media (HPBSM) to reduce contaminants of emerging concern, including 6PPD-quinone and PFAS, and aquatic toxicity in stormwater. This research is crucial for validating how effective HPBSM is in real-world conditions. Also, this research builds on the findings from a previous laboratory-based SAM study showing that filtration through bioretention reduces stormwater toxicity and protects sensitive fish, like coho salmon (see factsheet).

This SAM study at the Geneva Bioretention Pilot Project location will leverage samples already being collected as part of an existing study to analyze additional parameters including 6PPD-quinone, PFAS, PAHs, metals, and DOC.