PFAS Contamination Found at High Levels on Former Tel Aviv Airport Site
Translated & summarized from TheMarker by baba
A soil survey at a former Sde Dov airport site in Tel Aviv revealed PFOS contamination nearly 600 times the acceptable threshold, with high levels found across the property. The contamination, likely from historical firefighting foam use, was detected in all 16 boreholes, suggesting widespread pollution. The findings are expected to add millions to development costs for the site, recently purchased by Mivne, which stated the costs are negligible and the project will meet all standards.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- PFOS contamination nearly 600 times the threshold found at former Sde Dov airport site.
- All 16 boreholes on the Mivne-acquired plot showed abnormal levels of PFOS.
- The contamination likely stems from historical use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam.
- The findings are expected to add millions to the development costs for the site.
- Mivne stated cleanup costs are negligible and the project will meet all standards.
A new soil survey at a site formerly part of the Sde Dov airport in Tel Aviv has revealed extremely high concentrations of the chemical PFOS, nearly 600 times the threshold for direct contact. The survey, conducted by Loden Environmental Technologies and published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, found abnormal levels of PFOS in all 16 boreholes drilled on the property, which was recently acquired by the company Mivne. In 15 of these boreholes, the related contaminant PFOA was also detected.
The contaminated site, designated plot 303, was purchased by Mivne in December 2024 for approximately NIS 112.5 million, plus development costs of about NIS 19.5 million. The 5.6-dunam plot is slated for commercial and retail development. The highest PFOS concentration, 3.78 million nanograms per kilogram of soil, was found at a depth of half a meter, far exceeding the threshold of 6,321.4 nanograms per kilogram. High levels were also found at one and two-meter depths in the same borehole, and other boreholes showed concentrations 233 and 174 times the threshold.
Significantly, PFOS contamination was found in all boreholes, including those in areas not initially flagged as suspicious. This suggests the pollution from the former airport, likely caused by the historical use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, may have spread beyond its original boundaries. These findings add to previous reports detailing the state's refusal to fund cleanup efforts, the Ministry of Environmental Protection's demand to halt work in parts of the northern neighborhood due to unmonitored soil dispersal, and a court freezing of land rights auctions over the contamination.
The report is expected to add millions of shekels to Mivne's development costs for soil treatment. The company stated that it purchased the land from the state with the representation that it met all required standards. Mivne added that while the survey results are being studied, cleanup costs are considered negligible relative to the project's total cost, and the company will deliver a project meeting all standards.
Mentioned
Not the same event — other stories that share this one’s people, places, or theme: background, reactions, and follow-ups.
