Per & Polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS) in Drinking Water: role of the BOH Wendy Heiger-Bernays, PhD - whb@bu.edu Boston University Superfund Research Program Chair, Lexington BOH

What are PFAS? Large group of chemicals (2000 and counting) have been identified in the environment; Water repellant and stain resistant properties Used since the 1940s in consumer and industrial products Unregulated, unregulated, unregulated!!! https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/

Multiple PFAS in the Environment and in People Approximately 50% of samples with PFAS detections contained ≥2 PFASs. Guelfo and Adamson. 2018. PMID: 29427949 Nyberg et al., 2018 PMID: 29987291

Measuring PFAS

https://www.healthandenvironment.org/webinars/96430

PFAS are REALLY Hard to Measure Properly USEPA Method 537 (version 1.1, 2009) Only applicable to Drinking Water samples ASTM D7979-17 & ASTM D7968 - 17a (2017) Applicable to non-Drinking water aqueous samples and soils ONLY USE A CERTIFIED LABORATORY!!!!!!!!!

What Data do YOU NEED? At a minimum: “Summary Data Package” Cover Letter or Lab Narrative explaining the analyses performed and any deviations Results for your Samples Results for all Quality Control Critical Samples may require a “Full Deliverable”

Are People Exposed – How? Food, water, household dust, consumer products Breastfed infants (but breastfeeding is BEST!!!!) Air, water, food & soil…..

Health Effects of PFAS What do we know? http://pfashealth.info/index.html ATSDR

Health Effects Associated with PFAS Various forms of cancer, including testicular and kidney cancer Pregnancy-induced hypertension/pre-eclampsia Liver damage Increases in cholesterol levels Increased risk of thyroid disease Decreased antibody response to vaccines Increased risk of asthma diagnosis Increased risk of decreased fertility Small decreases in birth weight

So Why Aren’t PFAS Regulated?

EPA Monitors a Subset of Larger Community Water Supplies Hu et al., 2016: DOI:PMID: 27752509

So are PFAS measured in the Commonwealth? YES!

Military Installations – Major Sources of PFAS https://pfasproject.com/westfield-massachusetts/

Where’s the Government? Interventions and Prevention Strategies

Non-Governmental Organizations Toxics Action Center STEEP – RI Superfund Research Program – Silent Spring Institute Northeastern University UMASS Amherst

Drinking Water in MA Public Water Supplies Private Water Supplies

Granular Activated Carbon Treatment Options Granular Activated Carbon Reverse Osmosis

Emergency Response Coordinator Nick Child at 617-574-6847 

What’s the Health Risk?

http://pfashealth.info/index.html

Risk Communication Boards of Health – responding to complaints and concerns http://www.bu.edu/sph/files/2016/12/Updated-PFAS-Factsheet-Drinking-Water.pdf

Responding to Concerns Education Coordination KEEPING UP TO DATE! Discussion & Working Groups

RESOURCES

Let’s Discuss the Following Situations: Question from a community member I live next to a fire department – should I be concerned? Question from a community member about private well; Should she test? What to advise?

Thank you! Boston University Superfund Research Program www.BUSRP.org National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2P42ES003781-21