This summer, Shaw Institute is collaborating with the Town of Blue Hill to monitor per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination in the town’s water. Out of our commitment to protect local public health, Shaw Institute successfully entered a highly competitive application process to the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund to be awarded financial support for this project. The study, which launched on June 10, was initiated in response to state-mandated testing which revealed elevated PFAS concentrations at the Blue Hill Consolidated School and the Parker Ridge Retirement Community. It was designed to help us understand the overall extent and severity of PFAS contamination in our community.
PFAS are man-made chemicals used to repel oil and water in a wide variety of commercial and industrial products including nonstick cookware, clothing, cosmetics, food wrappers, and firefighting foam. Called “forever chemicals” because they stay in the environment for many years, PFAS have been linked to negative health effects in humans and animals. State testing of water, soil, and wildlife has shown that these chemicals are present in Maine’s environment, including on many farms around the state.
Now that our study has been underway for nearly two months, we felt it was time to give the community an update. To monitor PFAS in water, Shaw Institute uses affordable, easy-to-use, comprehensive kits made by Cyclopure to test for 55 different PFAS compounds. Since June 10, 115 Blue Hill residents have signed up to participate in the study and 90 have received a Cyclopure kit. Thirty-three of the kits have already been analyzed providing some preliminary results. We are well on our way to our goal of testing at least 120 homes.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR PFAS TESTING
Many of the test kits are still out with homeowners or in the process of being analyzed at the lab, but some early results are in. Of the 33 test results we’ve received so far, around 30% had detectable levels of PFAS. Approximately 15% of the tests had levels that exceeded the newest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water safety thresholds. If we continue to find that 15% of the tests have elevated PFAS levels as we receive more data, then it will mean that many Blue Hill residents are affected by this contamination.
So far, the highest concentrations have been found in the central and southern part of Blue Hill (see Map 1) but please understand that we are still too early in the data gathering process to say this with more confidence. Things may change as more samples are analyzed.
The overwhelming response from community members has been positive and appreciative. From one participant who was relieved to learn that no PFAS was detected in their well:
“I am so grateful to Shaw Institute for this opportunity. Living on old farmland, I have been worried about the potential of PFAS for a long time. It is a gift and a blessing to receive the news that my drinking water is PFAS free.”
And from another whose news was not so good:
“We reached out to [a mitigation company] this afternoon about adding a PFAS filter into our existing filtration system and are waiting to hear back about next steps. We really appreciate that you made this PFAS testing opportunity available. We were glad to contribute to the community research project and are now grateful to learn about the PFAS contamination in our water so we can take the necessary actions to safeguard our family.”
For those participants who discover that their wells are contaminated with PFAS, there are a number of options for mitigation at different price points. PFAS can be effectively filtered out of drinking water through a whole-house filtering system, an under sink system, or even specialized “Brita-style” pitchers. We provide links and contact information for resources to help participants with contaminated wells explore their options.
In addition to well water monitoring, we sampled seven different streams that run through Blue Hill to understand potential wildlife exposure and inputs to the ocean. Many of the streams were sampled at upstream and downstream locations for a total of 11 sites (see Map 2). Each site has been sampled twice to determine if stream concentrations remain constant over time. In the first round of sampling, which took place at the end of June, five of the 11 stream sites had low, but detectable amounts of PFAS that were within EPA safety standards. We will see if these concentrations remain the same over time or if we see major differences in the second round.
The grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund allowed us to offer PFAS test kits at no cost to community members making this resource available to everyone. PFAS testing at state-accredited labs can cost up to $400 per test making it difficult for many people to access information about contamination in their wells. We are grateful for all donations in support of the project that we’ve received from participants. These additional funds will be used to purchase more test kits so more people can access this resource.
You can still sign up on our website. We will continue to accept participants until September or when funding is exhausted. A final report of study results will be publicly available by the end of the year.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE IN SUPPORT OF OUR PFAS RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS
