PFAS contamination has been found in 13 private wells out of 96 that were tested south of the Martha’s Vineyard Airport, environmental consultants working for the airport have confirmed.

In an email that went out Saturday, Ron Myrick, director of remediation for Tetra Tech, said with the majority of the testing now finished, a full report will be sent to the state Department of Environmental Protection by Jan. 19. A public meeting will be scheduled some time after that to discuss the results, he said.

Found in firefighting foam, Per and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) turned up in monitoring wells at the airport last summer. Subsequent testing led to more comprehensive sampling in private wells south of the airport beginning in November. PFAS can pose dangers to human health when ingested.

A total of 96 wells were sampled in the first phase of the investigation, Mr. Myrick said.

Thirteen wells, or approximately 14 per cent, exceeded safe limits of 70 parts per trillion as outlined in state DEP guidelines, he said.

Most of the wells that tested above safe limits are located near the West Tisbury Road south of the airport, he also said.

Consultants are now preparing what they called an “immediate response action plan” to send to the state. The plan and report will be made public online when it goes to the state.

Mr. Myrick also thanked residents for their cooperation.

“We would like to thank the residents in the study area for their assistance and cooperation through the first phase of this investigation. We have generated a large volume of data to better understand the issue and develop appropriate solutions,” he wrote.