By Dr. Amir Mohammad
Your Health
Dr. Amir Mohammad
I recently attended a meeting on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, organized by the Regional Water Authority to learn more about these chemicals and what RWA is doing in meeting the current standards. PFAS contamination in water supply is a leading environmental concern in Connecticut and around the U.S. Both Milford and Orange residents are served by RWA, and during this meeting I was reassured that the RWA is closely working with other utilities and the state’s PFAS task force.
As a background, various news sites reported that the issues related to PFAS were not widely known in Connecticut until the accidental activation on June 9 of a fire-suppression system at a hangar owned by a flight services company, Signature Flight. It released about 40,000 gallons of firefighting foam with PFAS substances.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS are a group of manmade chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many others. PFAS have been manufactured and used in the U.S. since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are persistent in the environment and in the human body.
Connecticut health officials have adopted the EPA’s 70 parts-per-trillion measurement for PFOA and PFOS and included three additional versions of these compounds known as PFNA, PFHxS and PFHpA. Under the Connecticut recommendation, if any combination of these five different chemicals adds up to more than 70 parts per trillion, people should not drink that water.
PFAS has been used for decades in firefighting foam and variety of consumer products including but not limited to stain-resistant carpets, non-stick cookware, food packaging like pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags, raincoats and household cleaning products.
According to the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, some studies in humans with PFAS exposure have shown that certain PFAS may affect growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children; lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant; interfere with natural hormones (thyroid hormone disruption); increase cholesterol levels; affect the immune system; and increase the risk of some types of cancer (kidney, testicular).
The PFAS action plan report is due to Gov. Ned Lamont on Oct. 1 and will be outlining steps that the state should take to address human health, pollution prevention, and cleanup. It will prioritize actions and consider resource investments and legislative changes.
I was informed that RWA is measuring these chemicals in the drinking water supply. However, let’s not wait and start minimizing the use of the above-listed products containing these harmful chemicals. I strongly believe that prevention is better than cure.
Dr. Amir Mohammad is the director of health for the Town of Orange.