Toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are newly emerging water-polluting contaminants that are invisible and odorless. Also known as “forever chemicals”, PFAS are very slow to break down in the environment. They are biopersistent, bioaccumulative and pose serious health risks. Thousands of PFAS chemicals have been formulated in the last 80 years for use in industrial and household products. Further, PFAS-contaminated sludge has found its way into farming and gardening top soil.

A new report, released on June 26 by Waterkeeper Alliance, reveals that PFAS have contaminated 98 percent of tested U.S. waters, with elevated levels found at 95 percent of sampled sites downstream from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and 80 percent downstream from biosolids land application sites. Such findings should lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, regulators and lawmakers to take urgent action to protect the health of our communities and environment without any further delay.

Kate McPherson, Narragansett Bay Riverkeeper for Save The Bay, participated in this PFAS Phase II study by collecting samples in Rhode Island, upstream and downstream of a wastewater treatment plant situated on the Pawtuxet River, in Cranston. She says, “I was interested in PFAS sampling in the Pawtuxet River because we don’t have a whole lot of publicly available surface water data on PFAS yet. We weren’t sure if wastewater treatment plants were going to be a big source of PFAS, and at least at the Cranston treatment plant during the month we sampled it doesn’t appear to be so, since there wasn’t a significant difference in upstream and downstream concentrations.”

The total concentration of upstream and downstream PFAS in the river was around 38 parts per trillion (ppt), whereas the RI PFAS surface water “action level” is 70 ppt. Nonetheless, people should avoid ingesting water from this river due to potential bacterial pollution.

The state legislature has passed one law banning PFAS in food packaging and consumer products and another requiring sampling of land-applied biosolids and fertilizers produced from biosolids. These are positive steps; however, such laws are difficult to enforce. More importantly, Waterkeeper Alliance advocates for responsibility at a federal level and asks all U.S. citizens to urge their congressional representatives to “Act on PFAs.”

Waterkeeper Alliance provides an actionable link at Waterkeeper.quorum.us/campaign/131950. By contacting congressional representatives, citizens can help ensure that PFAS are regulated as a class, polluters are held accountable and meaningful protections are put in place for clean water, public health and future generations. The time to act is now—before more damage is done.

For more information, visit Waterkeeper.org.

 

Actions The EPA Must Take to Mitigate The Risks Posed by PFAs:

• Hold industrial source polluters accountable for the PFAS contamination they send downstream

• Establish and enforce federal standards for PFAS in drinking water and surface water discharges under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act

• Prohibit the land application of PFAS-contaminated biosolids

• Require class-based regulation of PFAS compounds to address the full chemical family, prevent harmful substitutions and streamline monitoring, treatment and enforcement efforts

• Prioritize funding for PFAS monitoring and the deployment of treatment technologies to protect all communities, especially those disproportionately impacted by “forever chemicals” and other forms of pollution.

Communities deserve protection from this growing contamination crisis, especially those already overburdened by pollution. Our water shouldn’t be a chemical dumping ground.