​EPA Issues New Drinking Water Health Advisories: See Arizona Impacts

TUCSON, AZ — Human-made “forever chemicals” found in water supplies across the country, including in the Tucson area, are more dangerous than previously thought, and local utilities should install filters to remove them or at least tell customers how dangerous they are, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday.

Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are known as “forever chemicals” because of their durability in high heat and water, which means they remain in the environment for years without breaking down. They’re found in a range of food and consumer products, and have been linked to infertility, thyroid problems and several types of cancer.

No state is untouched by PFAS contamination, according to a map compiled by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization sometimes criticized for exaggerating certain toxicity risks. But a growing body of scholarly and government research backs the assertion of both the EPA and EWG that even at low levels currently, these chemicals can cause harm over a person’s lifetime.

In the Tucson area, the Metropolitan DWID was identified as being at risk in the map released by EWG.

The best thing people can do right now is to install one of several commercially available filters, but they need to make sure the filter removes PFAS.

Melanie Benesh, legislative attorney for the EWG, told The Washington Post the EPA’s advisory “should set off alarm bells for consumers and regulators.”

“These proposed advisory levels demonstrate that we must move much faster to dramatically reduce exposures to these toxic chemicals,” Benesh said.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) this week announced a series of steps to further protect Arizona's drinking water from the contamination caused by PFAS.

Beginning in July 2022, ADEQ will conduct PFAS sampling for all public water systems in Arizona that have not yet been tested for PFAS either under Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule( UCMR) requirements or through ADEQ's PFAS ongoing screening.

To assist Arizona's public water systems, ADEQ also is preparing comprehensive guidance and tools that the agency will distribute to public water systems in July 2022 to provide information and resources for PFAS sampling, and treatment and funding options.

"Our commitment to protecting Arizona's most precious resource from toxic contamination is unwavering," said ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera. "We are working closely with the state's more than 1,500 public water systems and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that public health remains our top priority."

Communities with PFAS contamination may be eligible for funding under a $1 billion grant program included in the Biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure package approved by Congress last year.

U.S. manufacturers have phased out PFOA and PFOS, two compounds found in the cluster of forever chemicals widely used in nonstick cookware, moisture-repellent fabrics and flame-retardant equipment. A few uses remain, and they’re ubiquitous in the environment, having accumulated since the 1940s, National Public Radio reported.

Even at levels so low they can’t be detected in drinking water, these compounds pose a health risk, the EPA said in the revised advisory. The agency lowered the allowable limits of these two compounds, immediately drawing fire from the chemical industry.

The American Chemical Council, which represents PFAS producers such as 3M and Dupont, said Wednesday the EPA’s new standards “will have sweeping implications” on public policy, and “cannot be achieved with existing treatment technology and, in fact, are below levels that can be reliably detected using existing EPA methods.”

Further, the industry group questioned the science behind the revised drinking water health advisory, saying it should have been delayed until the agency’s own Science Advisory Board could review dramatically reduced toxicity levels that are “3,000 to 17,000 times lower” than those set in 2016.

“Getting the science right is of critical importance,” the American Chemical Council said in a statement.

Health advocates say the problem can’t be overstated. Forever chemicals have already prompted officials in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan to issue advisories against eating certain fish caught in Lake Superior.