Forever Chemicals: Invisible Threats in our Drinking Water
Learn about an intervention put in place to make drinking water in New Jersey communities safer.
You may have heard about “forever chemicals” from the media or even word-of-mouth. What makes these chemicals so-called “forever” and what will happen if we are exposed to them? Are there probable sources in our daily lives? Let’s dig in more.
Over the years, a series of biomonitoring studies have found concerningly high levels of substances known as Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in several NJ public drinking water systems. PFAS do not break down easily and are persistent in our environment and our bodies, hence their nickname “Forever Chemicals”.
Biomonitoring refers to the measurement of chemicals in a person’s body fluids or tissues like blood or urine. These analyses can help us better understand community exposures and potential health risks in our environment.
Introduction to PFAS
What is PFAS?
Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have unique physicochemical properties such as resistance to grease, oil, water, and heat. Therefore, many of our daily products may contain or are processed with PFAS during the manufacturing processes. Some examples are cleaners, textiles, furniture, leather, paper and paints, food packaging, ski wax, and food processing equipment. Another source to note is aqueous fire-fighting foams (AFFFs), known to contain PFAS, and are used during fire-fighting exercises in airports or training centers.
Possible sources of PFAS exposure
If PFAS are emitted from the manufacturing facilities or fire-fighting locations, they can contaminate the environment, such as groundwater, and end up in the human body through multiple pathways. Drinking water has been contaminated by sources such as industrial facilities and landfill. PFAS do not break down easily in environment and accumulative in human body over time (this is why called “forever chemicals), they have the potential to be a significant health and environmental threat, especially for community members if their water source is contaminated with PFAS. Possible health threats may include cancer, liver damage, and decreased fertility.
Drinking Water Contamination
If the drinking water is contaminated, it would overwhelm the possible sources of PFAS exposure. If there is low PFNA contamination (1 ng/L), drinking water would make up about only 2.4% of possible sources. However, if drinking water is highly contaminated (400 ng/L), it could make up over 90% of the possible sources of PFAS exposure. This poses a dire situation that needs to be mitigated as soon as possible.
PFAS serum levels
Elevated levels of PFAS were detected in several NJ public drinking water systems in southwest New Jersey. One PFAS that had consistent high levels was called Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). A PFNA level of 96 ng/L was recorded from a groundwater site in southwest NJ. As of 2015, the New Jersey groundwater standard was 10 ng/L. One community that is located in southwest New Jersey is called Paulsboro.
Drinking Water Interventions
Prior to 2016, interventions were put into place to help overall reduction to PFAS exposure in affected communities. Granulated activated carbon (GAC) filters were placed in water systems and wells to eliminate drinking water as a source of PFNA contamination. However, residents still had concerns about past exposure to PFNA and potential health effects.
A Closer Look
The graph below shows the distribution of the concentrations for four PFAS in residents of Paulsboro, New Jersey, and U.S. The blue box highlights the data for PFNA levels in the three groups. There is a visible difference here – the green box, from Paulsboro residents certainly stands out. The mean Paulsboro level is only slightly higher than the NJ mean for the other 3 chemicals (PFHxS, PFOA, and PFOS). However, when you compare the mean value of PFNA in Paulsboro to the mean of PFNA in NJ, it is more than 3 times higher indicated by the star.
Examination Time
In the effort to alleviate residents of the fear that there was still a risk of exposure in drinking water, a community exposure study was jointly conducted by the NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) and Rutgers-Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute (EOHSI) between August 2017 and March 2020.
Blood samples were collected from residents and transported to labs for analysis of PFAS levels in the body. Drinking water (from the household sink) and house dust samples (from the household vacuum cleaner) were also collected from homes. It was confirmed that there were no ongoing or additional PFAS exposure from these sources.
Now we take a closer look at the data from Paulsboro for the 3 years of the study.
The figure above shows how the concentrations of PFNA changed throughout the three years of the study. The black dashed line goes through the means of each year, and steadily decreases. In addition, in the third year low concentrations were more prominent than previous years.
While the invisible threat of PFAS can be concerning, there are interventions that have certainly helped to make drinking water safer for communities just like Paulsboro that were affected in the past. The work to improve the quality of water and thus the quality of life for more and more people continues on. But the success for one community may pave the way for future successes.
If you would like to learn more about the original study, you may click here.
If you would like to learn more about PFAS: Here is a helpful factsheet from the CDC.
Here is an overview from the The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Here is information from the The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
