PFAS PFOS Drinking Water Testing Forever Chemicals – PFOA, PFOS, Gen X Compounds in Drinking Water

One of the most important issues related to consumer products, the environment, and the public health is the new problem “forever chemicals” and a specific group called PFAS.  PFAS are man-made per- and polyfluoroalkyls chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and others.   Starting in the 1940s, these chemicals have been manufactured around the world and these chemicals historically can be found in food packaging,  commercial household and personal products,  manufacturing  and industrial facilities, waste discharges, landfill leachate, and firefighting products and clothing.  At this moment, the PFOA Stewardship Program has phased out SOME of these PFAS chemicals so they are no longer manufactured in the United States.

But wait, we are a global community and these compounds can bioaccumulate and can now be found in the environment and US (That is right You and me!)  and the available studies suggest that these PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS) can adversely impact human health.  In animal studies, these chemicals have shown to cause tumors, adversely impact the liver and kidney, reproductive system, impact developmental,

The most-studied PFAS chemicals are PFOA and PFOS. Studies indicate that PFOA and PFOS can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemicals have caused tumors in animals. Human epidemiology studies have shown these chemicals increased cholesterol levels and the available data suggests these compound also negative influence infant birth weights,  reduced immune system, thyroid hormone, ulcerative colitis, and potentially cause cancer.

The routes of exposure to this compounds includes are work environment,  foodborne routes, commercial products, and our drinking water.   If you work in a facility using PFAS or producing products made with PFAS you can be exposed direct exposure or contaminated air.   Foodborne routes included contaminated equipment used to process food, food packaging (coated cardboard / fast food paper), cookware (use PFOA Free Cookware) and/or the environment and conditions under which the food is grown.   PFAS exposure can come from consumer products like water-repellent, nonstick cookware, stain-water repellants, cosmetics, cellphones,  lubricants and much more.    Since these chemicals are not routinely tested in drinking water and they are difficult to breakdown, PFAS has been found in drinking water sources that include streams, lakes, groundwater, well water, springs, and even city water. “Testing by the EPA has determined that 6.5 million people have been exposure to PFOA in their drinking water and the chemical has been detected in over 94 public water supplies in 31 different states” and in 2004 99.7% of Americans had detectable levels of PFOA in their body”.   The EPA advisory limit, not enforceable, for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water at 70 parts per trillion (Update).

The Keystone Clean Water Teams goal is to provide resources to help you get your water tested and to provide fact based information.    Since this testing is normally not readily available, we have partnered with a national testing company to provide you with some testing options.    We are offering these 4 informational testing packages.

Go to ResinTech is a global leader in ion exchange for water purification, helping distributors and operators worldwide (Forever Chemical Testing)

Note: Informational Testing (Level 3): “Results are not intended to be used to meet any regulatory requirements or for litigation purposes. Results are for informational and educational purposes only and are useful in determining general water quality and safety”. “Laboratory tests were conducted by methods approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or variations of these EPA Methods”. Informational Water Testing conducted through a partnership between the Keystone Clean Water Team, B.F. Environmental Consultants, and Resin Tech Inc. The results of this testing are intended for an educational or informational purpose only and not used for a regulatory function or litigation.  If you are looking for Well Water or City Water Testing.

Get Treatment

EPA officials recommend NSF and ANSI Certified filters to reduce PFOA and PFOS. ” P473: Drinking Water Treatment Units – PFOA and PFOS — to verify a water treatment device’s ability to reduce perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) to below the health advisory levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

Treatment Options: (Point of Use Filters meets P473 and other standards)

Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis Under Sink Water Filter System

AO Smith 2-Stage Under Sink Clean Water Faucet Filter – NSF Certified Carbon Block Drinking Water Filtration System

Drinking Water Testing Kits Corrosion Lead Copper Metals – My Drinking Water is it Safe?

Article for: private well owner, spring user, city water customer, regulated water supply, water utility customer, homeowner, landlord, tenant, drinking water

The Flint water crisis reportedly started in 2014 and ended in 2019, but in reality the “crisis” started prior to 2014 and probably has not ended.   Why?  The problem with corrosion within the water system and individual’s homes clearly started prior to 2014 and the customers and users within the system were not aware of the short-comings in their drinking water quality, the need for corrosion control, need to replace service laterals, plumbing within their homes, the need to be proactive in protecting your personal and families’ health, lack of public outreach and education, and not knowing the wrong signs of a corrosion problem   The main purpose of this article is to help identify the warning signs of a potential corrosion problem with your drinking water.    The signs of a corrosion problem come in many forms, but it is important for the user to take responsibility for keeping their eyes open.   Corrosion of our drinking water supplies is a very common water quality and public health issue that is related to not only the raw water quality, level of pretreatment, status of the community distribution system, the internal plumbing for a building, the usage and management of water within the building, and the fixtures used within the system.  This sounds overwhelming, but there are clear warning signs you may have a problems.

The most common signs of a problem with corrosion included the following:

1. Blue-green or greenish water or even reddish brown or brown water that may be intermittent and worse in the hot water than the cold water.
2. Staining of porcelain fixtures, such as sinks, drains, or tubs that appear green, blue-green, and reddish brown.
3. Coatings on aeration devices that appears greenish-gray or bluish green and particles on the screen of the aerator that appear green, bluish-green, greenish-gray, reddish-brown, yellow-brown, or even bluish-gray.
4. Discoloration of water piping near solder joints and/or pin-hole leaks in piping and the premature failure of water appliances and water heaters.
5. Old piping in a home that may include lead pipes or piping that was installed using high lead solder, such as lead service lines and galvanized piping.
6. The first flush of the water from the tap may have a bitter taste.

What is the age of your home, when was the house last remodeled, and the piping in your home?

YOUR household plumbing may be the cause for lead in your drinking water. In older homes, lead was used to make the piping and/or solder.  In homes, built prior to 1930’s water pipes were primarily made from lead. These pipes can be identified because the piping tends to have a dull gray color, can be scratched with a key, and a magnet will not stick to the piping. In buildings built between the 1930’s and early 1980’s, copper pipes were often used, but the solder contained elevated levels of lead. The primary source of the lead includes the use of lead pipes, lead lined tanks, and use of 50/50 lead/tin solder. Because of the concern with lead, the EPA banned the use of high lead solders in 1986.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s galvanized water lines was utilized in new home construction. Currently, this type of piping is not widely used, but it is more commonly used with well water applications.  This piping is steel piping that has a zinc coating to reduce the tendency for the piping to corrode.  When this pipe corrodes, the pipe rust from the inside of the pipe and then works outward.  When this occurs, the water may produce intermittent discolored water that tends to be brown, yellow, or reddish brown, and the piping will likely clog with rust and most likely collapse over time. This does not mean that a newer home is safe from lead contamination; in fact, the available data suggests that buildings less than 5 years old can have high levels of lead.

In fact, buildings built prior to 1986 likely contain some lead plumbing.  Prior to 2014, the legal definition for “lead free” was plumbing fixtures with a lead content of less than 8 %.  In 2014, the term was redefined to include only fixtures with a lead content of 0.25% and newly installed fixtures must use the “lead free” materials, but this did not apply to fixtures currently in use.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family?

After getting this information, you should do the following:

1. Inspect your plumbing system for signs or evidence of a corrosion problem and low cost lead screening testing  (water) or (paint,dust, soil).
2. Take note of the visual and aesthetic signs of a corrosive water problem.
3. Try our Free Drinking Water Diagnostic Tool.
4. Order the Drinking Water Guide.
5. Get Your Drinking Water Tested and the Results Reviewed by a Professional. At a minimum, we recommend the “Corrosion Check” Water Test Kit.
6. Act to improve your drinking water quality by reporting problems to your local water authority for public water supplies or if your water comes from a private water source take the necessary action to reduce the risk to the health of yourself and your family and to reduce the potential costs associated with the premature failure and/or invalidating the warranty of water related appliances, water leaks and associated damage, and/or the additional operational costs associated with inefficiencies associated with clogged or corroded piping/equipment.
7. Update fixtures and piping and consider the use of point-of-use filters or a whole-house water treatment system. Before installing a water treatment system, please get a comprehensive water quality test (City Water) or (Well Water).

Our Motto is ” Learn / Diagnose / Test “

Learn – learn about your source and system.

Diagnose – determine the warning signs or symptoms of a problem and get the water tested and problem diagnosed.

Test – implement an approach to mitigate the problem and test to make sure the problem is corrected.

Source:  Oram, Brian; “Lead In Drinking Water – Is There Lead In My City Drinking Water ?”, Water Research Center / Know Your H20 Program, 2020.

Recommended Reading:

The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water

More on Lead

Podcast Pike County with Brian Oram Septic and Environmental Issues

On September 19, 2019, the Pike County Conservation District hosted a 2-hour informational work and training session. The topic – Properly Maintaining Your On-Lot Septic System.  In January 2020, I visited with Pike County and did a podcast.  When Pike County Informs Me – I will post a link to the Podcast here.  In the interim, this was the information on the September Talk.

To help Pike County residents keep local lakes and ponds clean, the Pike County Conservation District is hosting a free three-part workshop series titled “How your Backyard Activities Affect your Lake.”This is the third workshop in the series. It will be held at the Dingman Township Fire Hall, 680 Log Tavern Road. Presenter Brian Oram, a Professional Geologist with Water Research Center and B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc., will discuss the basic functionality of an on-lot system and best practices to help prevent water pollution.

During the session – Mr. Brian Oram promised to post a few items:

1. Here is a color copy of the presentation septicsystemspresentation92019. Please note copyright terms and conditions.
2. Here is a copy of a document the presenter found available on the local agency website on septic systems.
3. The Keystone Clean Water Team on-line store, get a copy of our educational booklet, order a neighborhood hazard report, mail order water testing program, at-home water screening and more.
4. Keystone Clean Water Team new diagnostic tool and free phone app for drinking water issues. Go To – http://www.drinkingH20app.com

Other Training On Septic Systems (ONLINE)

1. EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Systems Management

2. EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Processes and Systems

Reading Recommendations

Wells and Septic Systems Paperback

The Septic System Owner’s Manual Paperback

Drinking Water Quality Phone Apps Private Well Owners City Water Users

The Keystone Clean Water Team with assistance from B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc and the Water Research Center have developed and updated 2 phone apps.  The apps work on both the Android and the Apple iphone platform.  Know Your H2O? is an educational tool that can help you diagnose the problem with your water. This app will lead you through a series of questions to pinpoint the issues with your water.  Unlike other apps that just remind you to drink water, these apps actually help to diagnose a water quality problem and/or provide insight into water quality contaminants may be a concern based on a variety of activities.

Know Your H2O

Know Your H2O? is an educational tool that can help you diagnose the problem with your water. This app will lead you through a series of questions to pinpoint the issues with your water. You can reach your diagnosis through describing symptoms that are effecting your home, your health, or the water itself. Once you receive your diagnosis result(s), the app is designed to educate you by displaying full lists of symptoms, causes, and solutions, as well as links to other educational sources. The app will then show you various testing kit options specifically designed to treat those results. If the problem is more extensive and in depth testing is required, Know Your H2O? will also connect you with featured local professionals. What’s in YOUR Water?

Recommendation: Wells and Septic Systems Paperback

This app was replaced by a new drinking water diagnostic tool.

PA Baseline Testing

The PA Baseline Testing mobile app is an educational tool for residents of Pennsylvania who are impacted by Oil & Gas Development, Subsurface Coal Development, and other common environmental hazards.  By selecting which factor impacts your region, you can discover various Recommendations and Tiers of water testing that can help bring you piece of mind about the safety of your drinking water. Got Data? You can also submit your own testing data and results to help continue to build the PA Clean Water Team’s database.

To learn more go to Download the Free Drinking Water Quality Mobile Apps

Pennsylvania Baseline Water Testing Kit Options –

Baseline Water Testing Kits

Natural Gas Drilling Water Test Kit #1

Natural Gas Drilling Water Test Kit #2

Natural Gas Drilling Water Test Kit #3

 

Eastern Water Quality Association Conference 2019 Wilkes Barre, PA

The Eastern Regional Water Quality Conference and Trade Show
Mohegan Sun Pocono
Wilkes Barre, PA
September 25 – September 27, 2019
Pre-Conference One Day – Training Session

Title:  “Legalities of Proper Water Sampling, Chain-of-Custody, Proper Sampling and Testing, and Diagnosing A Problem”.

One of my favorite books on water treatment (The Basics- Domestic Water Treatment by Lehr)

New Hot Topic:

Harvest the Rain, How to Enrich Your Life by seeing Every Storm as a Resource

Water Treatment Grade 1 WSO: AWWA Water System Operations WSO

If you need to contact Brian (B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc.) – http://www.bfenvironmental.com

Do not forget to check out our other portals:

The KnowYourH2O Path to Clean Water Program was created to raise awareness of the threats to the health and safety of our drinking water supplies and sources which can impact your health, your families health, and your home and community.

The Water Blog

The Know Your H20 Drinking Water Testing Kits  Shops

The New Know Your H20 – Educational Booklet