New EPA advisory concerning toxic chemicals a step in the right direction
In June, the Environmental Protection Agency released new health advisories for a chemical group known as PFAS.
The EPA’s health advisories are used by municipalities as guidelines for how to keep our drinking water safe and free from harmful chemicals and contaminants.
Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used widely since the 1940s to produce everyday items. They have been used in carpet and textile manufacturing, non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, aerospace, automotive production, construction materials, and electronics.
This class of chemicals has become known as “Forever Chemicals” because they break down slowly in the environment and in the body.
They are now found widely in the soil, water, and air. The most widespread and well studied of these chemicals are Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). They are no longer manufactured in the United States but have since been replaced with “alternative PFAS” like a chemical group known as GenX.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Because PFAS are widespread, it is estimated that these chemicals are now in the blood of 97% of Americans.
It is believed that the majority of PFAS contamination comes from consuming water or food that contains them, although more research is needed to determine all sources of exposure.
There are several studies that have linked PFAS exposure to long term health problems including potential effects on metabolism, pregnancy, children’s cognition and neurobehavioral development, and the immune system.
The new health advisories released in June by the EPA, based on the latest science considering lifetime exposure, state that negative health effects may occur with concentrations near zero of PFOA and PFOS in water.
The EPA also issued final health advisories for two other PFAS class chemicals, perfluorobutane sulfonic acid and its potassium salt (PFBS) and for hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) dimer acid and its ammonium salt (“GenX chemicals”).
The agency reports that drinking water is only safe to consume if it has less than 2,000 parts per trillion of PFBS and 10 parts per trillion of GenX, 4 parts per quadrillion of PFOA, and 20 parts per quadrillion of PFOS. This is substantially lower than the 70 parts per trillion considered safe in the initial health advisory in 2016.
TAKING STEPS
The two municipalities in our watershed that have found PFAS in the drinking water supply, Rome and Summerville, have both taken actions to remediate the drinking water supply.
The Oostanaula River, which until 2016 was the drinking water source for Rome, has contamination from carpet manufacturing upstream. Raccoon Creek, the drinking water source for Summerville, is contaminated from textile manufacturing upstream. PFAS has also been detected in the Chattooga River as well as downstream in areas of Alabama.
In May of 2021, a city of Summerville press release announced they had installed Granular Activated Carbon filters at the Raccoon Creek water treatment plant to bring levels of PFAS/PFOS below the EPA Health Advisory limits.
The GAC filters are expensive and they go on to describe a pending lawsuit filed against 3M to hold the chemical manufacturer accountable for the additional costs incurred by water customers.
When Rome found out that PFAS was contaminating their drinking water sourced from the Oostanaula in 2016, the city switched its drinking water supply over to a smaller intake at the Etowah River until it could provide proper treatment to the water from the Oostanaula.
Currently the City of Rome is using GAC filters and is looking at a long-term, more cost effective process using Reverse Osmosis to treat the municipal water. It also has filed suit.
IN CONCLUSION
While it is unfortunate that PFAS threatens our public and environmental health, this new health advisory is a step in the right direction to ensuring that our water, communities, and ecosystem are protected from long term impacts.
If you are concerned about PFAS in your drinking water, the EPA recommends installing a home or point-of-use filter such as a Brita filter and be sure to change your filter on schedule.
Coosa River Basin Initiative will continue to monitor for PFAS in our watershed and will do all that we can to protect and restore our waters from PFAS and other harmful contaminants.