PFOA

What are PFOA and PFAS?

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonateperfluoroalkyl (PFAS) are two chemicals that are toxic and apparently never break down in our bodies and in our waterways. Both are often called "forever chemicals", manufactured by DuPont, 3M and others, and used in firefighting foam and water repellant textiles. Bucks & Montgomery counties, as well as most of Delaware state have high concentrations of these chemicals.  
 

Facts & Stats

PFOS and PFOA are persistent meaning they remain in the ecosystem for four years and even then reduced to half the effect. Longer chains are degraded to the chains of eight carbons and fifteen fluorides where they then persist in the soil, air and water.

They are endocrine disrupters affecting hormones and immune systems, attacking the liver and the kidney. I (who?) observed ten-year-old boys with brain tumors, women with thyroid problems and immune diseases and men with testicular cancers.

These indestructible chemicals can be found at airports, the Naval Base, bases across the nation as well as so many other areas because of the variety of sources and uses.

Currently there is only one sampling method for water and that is method 597. Air sampling requires methods for gaseous and particulate phases.

Within the Pennsylvania Commonwealth there is only one company qualified to do the sampling of water. It is located in King of Prussia.

People need to know about these chemicals, their health effects and the difficulty to protect yourself from them. The first thing to do is to contact Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and US EPA Region 3 if you have any concerns.

Treatment of drinking water and waste water

PFOs and PFOAs and their shorter chained derivatives have been found in the drinking water in Alaska, in sites where fracking occurs, in airports, military bases, at sites where they are used in manufacturing (West Virginia has two sites, so far), in the drinking water on Cape Cod and on and on.

If drinking water is contaminated, then three types of filtration is used:

  • Ion exchange: between a solid resin and an aqueous solution

  • Activated carbon: absorption

  • ECs: electrolysis, precipitation

Air: sample collections is two types: gaseous phase and particulate phase but how do you treat this and prevent people breathing either of these phases in? absorption on resins.

Safe level? US EPA has suggested 70 parts per trillion but everyone who spoke in Hatboro agreed that that was too high since those exposed at lower levels exhibited symptoms attributed to PFOs and PFOAs. Some said there is no safe level.

After treating water or collecting air polluted with the PFOs and PFOAs, what do we do with the waste? PFOs and PFOAs are almost indestructible. Burning at extremely high temperatures is recommended but often requires two phases and releases are likely to occur.

What has PFAS? 

Having long assumed the PFAS issue was felt only in the drinking water in towns near the Naval Base in Horsham, we were surprised to hear that these forever chemicals can be found in many consumer items. 

  • non-stick cookware, think Teflon pans
  • stain-repellant carpeting
  • water-repellant textiles
  • microware popcorn bags
  • pizza boxes
  • disposable foodware

We can try to avoid purchasing some of these, but water-repellant clothing? Most of us love the outdoors in our lightweight, down-filled, water repellant jackets. Turns out even some of the high end brands have PFAS coatings. Consider this fashion article about where to find PFAS-free outdoor clothing and gear.

Recent local media 

Resources

Local Organizing

Delaware Riverkeeper Network is the local lead organization. They're working to define maximum contamination levels (MCL) for Pennsylvania. Check their calendar page for the next organizing event. 

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