This commentary is by Marguerite Adelman, a Winooski resident who is coordinator of the VT PFAS/Military Poisons Coalition.
In June 2022, the EPA issued new drinking water health advisories for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). PFOA and PFOS are members of a group of over 9,000 manmade chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals.”
The updated advisory indicates that negative health effects may occur with concentrations of PFOA or PFOS that are near zero parts per trillion (ppt). Currently, no labs can detect PFAS at amounts below 2 ppt.
Vermont regulates only five types of PFAS compounds — PFOS, PFOA, PFHpA, PFHxS, and PFNA — regulating their total concentration in water to no more than 20 ppt.
A Vermont state report found PFAS in selected public water systems in 58 communities, often at multiple sites. Nine communities had public drinking water that tested above state regulations of 20 ppt of the five regulated types of PFAS. All of these communities have been alerted to the problem, and it is being addressed.
Thirty-four communities tested below 20 ppt of the five regulated PFAS, but above 2 ppt. Because current laboratory tests cannot measure PFAS below 2 ppt, we do not know how many additional communities in Vermont have water that has PFOS and PFOA between 0 and 2 ppt., above the new EPA advisory.
Why should Vermont residents be concerned? PFAS chemicals have been linked to several types of cancer; liver, kidney and thyroid damage; inflammatory bowel disease; low birth weight; infertility issues; reduced vaccine effectiveness; and other dire health impacts.
PFAS are not just in water. They are in soil, air, and in living beings, notably fish. According to a 2021 Vermont Agency of Natural Resources report, “The sites with the highest PFAS concentrations (in fish) were the mouth of the Winooski River and the mouth of Otter Creek. PFOS concentrations in fish tissue collected at these sites were 15.1 ppb and 9.82 ppb, respectively.”
Converting ppb to ppt, PFOS measured in fish at 15,100 ppt at the mouth of the Winooski River and 9,820 ppt at Otter Creek; Vermont’s water standard is 20 ppt. This first report is part of a longer series of studies before the Agency of Natural Resources will issue any fish advisories related to PFAS. This could take years.
According to an analysis in the Environmental Health Journal, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation, and Health Department — like other governmental agencies across the country — are failing in their public communications around PFAS, as well as downplaying PFAS’ many health risks.
What can Vermont residents do to protect themselves?
- Consider purchasing a water pitcher that filters PFAS. At this point, none of us know if our community water system contains PFAS above 0 ppt and below 2 ppt.
- If you have a well, test it for PFAS.
- If you regularly catch and eat fish, you might want to limit their consumption until more is known about PFAS in Vermont rivers and streams.
- Stop purchasing products that contain PFAS. Products that are stain-resistant, water-resistant, or stick-resistant likely contain PFAS. The VT PFAS/Military Poisons Coalition has created an information sheet on where individuals can buy PFAS-free products that you can download to your computer.
- Find out where candidates stand on legislation to regulate environmental toxins like PFAS. Your vote is your voice!
Until PFAS is banned, we must do all we can to keep our water, air and soil free of these highly toxic and bio-accumulative contaminants that are poisoning our environment and our bodies.
