Long Island Resilience Fellow, Emma Morgan, discusses the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new drinking water regulations targeting per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination by setting Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for six types of PFAS. PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are widely used and persist in the environment, posing health risks such as cancer and development issues. Although treatment is complex, the new regulations aim to improve public water safety. Emma has been working on groundwater sustainability with Long Island and highlights efforts to test residential wells. She hopes the regulations will support ongoing monitoring for safe drinking water!
Earlier this year the EPA announced new drinking water regulations to address PFAS contamination. These regulations set unique Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) to address six different forms of PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFAS mixtures). In addition to establishing enforceable levels for PFAS, the EPA announced $1 billion to be allocated to PFAS testing implementation and treatment for public water systems and private wells (EPA 2024). Eric Burneson, the EPA’s director of standards and risk management, anticipates that by eliminating the six PFAS identified in the new regulations, “thousands of deaths [will] be avoided and tens of thousands of illnesses [will be] avoided once this rule is fully implemented over the years” (Kluger 2023). The new regulations are critical to achieving clean drinking water access for all.
PFAS, Per and Poly Flora Alkyl Substances or “Forever Chemicals”, describes a group of over 3,000 individual man-made chemicals primarily used for water, stain, or grease resistance. They’re nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily in the environment. For example, these substances can be found in non-stick cookware, cosmetics, water resistant clothing, fire fighting foam, cleaning products, and many other products. PFAS is now widespread throughout our environment. Studies have shown that it can even be found in most people’s blood, and exposure to contaminated drinking water is often the primary source (ATSDR 2024).
Researchers are working to understand more about the impacts of PFAS exposure on our health and environment. Studies in humans have shown that PFAS exposure can negatively affect child development, chances of getting pregnant, hormone levels, cholesterol levels, immune system function, and can increase the risk of cancer. PFOA and PFOS are the most common forms of contaminants and have the strongest documented health harms (Kluger 2023). Scientists are continuing to try to understand how different mixtures of PFAS interact with human and environmental systems.
The outstanding amount of funding announced by the EPA seeks to address these issues through comprehensive testing and treatment, and to offset costs for public water systems. Well tests for consumers can be hundreds of dollars from accredited labs. Public water systems are now required to start monitoring for PFAS by 2027 and implement treatment to reduce high levels by 2029 (EPA 2024). However, PFAS is tricky to treat. Common treatment solutions like charcoal water filters and reverse osmosis filters don’t always strain out all PFAS. David Andrews, a senior scientist at the Environmental working group, explains “The filters are not as effective at [eliminating] some of the shorter chain PFOS compounds. In testing, they don’t remove all of the contamination” (Kluger 2023). Although more research is needed to determine the most effective solution, these regulations are a step in the right direction to address the issue of PFAS in drinking water because they’re not going away any time soon.
As the Long Island Resilience fellow, my work has been focused on managing a comprehensive groundwater sustainability study for the island to update existing well data and to assess the current state of the island’s aquifer. As part of the data collection component of the study, we were able to use our Community Action Grant funding to offer free residential well water tests to all interested residents. We tested residential wells for two parameters, chloride and bacteria, to investigate saltwater intrusion vulnerabilities and water quality. As outlined in the grant, we plan to use our remaining water testing funds to test a handful of public locations for more extensive parameters, including PFAS. Hopefully, the new EPA regulations will enable small municipalities, like Long Island, to continue monitoring the quality of their groundwater to meet updated PFAS standards for current and future islanders.
ASTDR 2024. Understanding PFAS Exposure and Your Body | Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Your Health | ATSDR (cdc.gov)
EPA 2024. Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) | US EPA
Kluger, J. (2023). The Challenge of Removing Toxic PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ from Drinking Water. TIME.
About Emma
Emma grew up in North Stonington, a small town in southeastern CT. She attended the University of Connecticut where she studied Environmental Science with a concentration in sustainable systems. At UConn, she had the opportunity to work on a coastal restoration research project. This experience sparked her interest in coastal community conservation and land management. Prior to moving to Portland at the beginning of 2024, Emma spent the previous year living in New Zealand where she worked as a baker, hiked every weekend, and swam in every body of water that she saw. Emma is excited to explore Maine next and to continue to work on the challenges of conservation and land management through her position with the Resilience Corps.
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