PFAS contamination of drinking water has received a lot of press and attention over the past several years. At this time, you may be asking why can’t they just deal with it? Well, here’s some reasons why addressing the PFAS issue is so challenging:
1. PFAS stands for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances which are actually a group of different chemicals. These are individual contaminants with unique chemical structures. As such one test cannot detect them all and work is still ongoing to figure out how to remove them.
2. These substances have existed since the 1950s. Laboratory technology is now able to detect PFAS at levels one millionth of the levels used to regulate most chemical contaminants. PFAS are measured and reported as nanograms per liter (ng/L) and 1 ng/L is equal to 0.000001 milligrams per liter (mg/L). What is being learned is that even at these low levels, PFAS have adverse health impacts since they can accumulate and build up in the body over time.
3. PFAS were specifically developed to repel other substances and to last a long time. This had advantages for the products in which it was used such as coatings for cookware, food packaging (ie. microwave popcorn bags and pizza boxes), clothing and carpets and firefighting foam. The problem is that PFAS have entered the environment and are now in water supply sources where they are doing what they were designed to do, lasting a long time and being resistant to removal using conventional water treatment techniques.
4. Studies are still ongoing into the health impacts of the various PFAS and these studies take time. Remember, there is a list of different PFAS and each can have a different health impact on people. The results of studies are used to help establish maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFAS in drinking water. MCLs are based on the health impacts of the contaminants, how widespread the contaminant is and the ability to remove the contaminant from water supply.
What can you do now? Keep apprised of the current research and information made available. The US EPA recently released a PFAS action plan but did not establish MCLs at this time, siting the need for more evaluation and study. For now, the US EPA has set a Health Advisory Level for two of the PFAS known as PFOA and PFOS. The Health Advisory Levels are provided as guidance to offer a margin of protection against adverse health effects to the most sensitive population, however, these are not mandatory limits as it would be with a MCL. The US EPA Health Advisory Level for exposure to PFOA and PFOS combined is 70 ng/L or parts per trillion. Meanwhile, individual state agencies are conducting their own studies and may establish state specific MCLs prior to the US EPA.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is evaluating and tracking the PFAS issue. MassDEP has compiled the public water supplies that have tested for PFAS through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3) and additional testing, making that information available through their website link provided below. Additionally, the MassDEP is requiring that all new public water supply drinking water sources be tested for PFAS and plan on implementing a targeted program for PFAS sampling around the state in the near future.
Resources:
US EPA website with information about PFAS
MassDEP website with information about PFAS
PFAS in recent Massachusetts news:
Westfield - Barnes Air National Guard Base
Cape Cod – Joint Base Cape Cod
Martha’s Vineyard - Airport
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