The Problem of PFAS in Wisconsin's Groundwater
Background:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that have been used and manufactured in the United States since the 1940s. There are thousands of different PFAS, some of which have been more widely used and studied than others. Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) have been manufactured the longest, are the most widespread in the environment, and are the most well-studied. PFAS became a popular chemical to be used in many products due to their water and stain resistant qualities. PFAS can be found in products such as non-stick cookware, fire retardants, waterproof clothes, pizza boxes, takeout containers, carpets and textiles, rubber and plastic, some types of furniture, and even some types of dental floss. Although PFAS seem useful due to their water and stain resistant qualities, they are detrimental to the environment and wellbeing of organisms because they break down extremely slowly and can build up in people, animals, and the environment. |
PFAS can be released into the environment through production and waste streams and can be found in our water, soil, air, and even food. Most people in the U.S have come in contact or have been exposed to PFAS, and they are especially harmful to children because children are still developing, they may be more sensitive to the harmful effects of chemicals such as PFAS. They can also be exposed more than adults because. According to the EPA Children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults, which can increase their exposure to PFAS. According to the CDC PFAS have recently been linked to many negative health impacts, such as increased cholesterol levels, increased risk of thyroid disease, decreases in infant birth weights, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, decreased fertility in women, and increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.
Current Status:
According to this map, modeled after one provided by the Wisconsin DNR, there are a reported 60 locations that are known to be contaminated with PFAS. One location that is known to be contaminated by PFAS is an area located by the regional airport of La Crosse. According to the city of La Crosse’s website, PFAS have been detected in two City of La Crosse municipal wells (Well #23 and #24) and groundwater samples near the La Crosse Regional Airport. The level of PFAS detected in these municipal wells are predicted to have resulted from the use of firefighting foam at the airport that is said to have contained PFAS. Although the impacts to the municipal wells are below the DNR’s proposed standards, La Crosse’s Water Utility has removed the wells from production as a precaution. As of now, the city of La Crosse and its environmental consultant, The OS Group, are investigating the airport for PFAS contamination from past releases, as required by the DNR. As part of this investigation, the City of La Crosse offered private well water sampling to residents located downstream from the airport in an area designated as the City’s Investigation Area.
Another area that has been affected by PFAS in Wisconsin is Madison, where in mid-September 2019, Wisconsin DNR staff collected bluegill and largemouth bass for PFAS analysis from Lake Monona near the Starkweather Creek outlet. PFOS was found in all fish collected from Lake Monona and Starkweather Creek. Because of this, the DNR and Wisconsin Department of Health Services updated the Lake Monona and Starkweather Creek Fish-Eating Guidelines in early 2020 and recommended that people consume some species of fish less frequently than the prior Safe Eating Guidelines.
Marinette County is yet another area where PFAS have been located in Wisconsin. PFAS contamination has been detected in the Marinette area in soil, sediment, groundwater, surface water, private drinking water wells and biosolids with the worst contamination being located near the Tyco Fire Products testing facility, which has been used to test firefighting foams for years before the practice was ended in 2017. As a result of this, The contamination in Marinette County requires remediation and delivery of drinking water to several homeowners who can no longer safely consume the water from their wells.
As of today, PFOA and PFOS which have been linked to many adverse health effects in people and animals have recently stopped being used by many companies in the United States under a voluntary agreement arranged by the EPA. However, these substances are still circulating in the country via imports. Although PFOA and PFOS have been stopped being used in products, some companies who manufacture these products have recently begun using new PFAS that may be no safer. There have been many firefighting foams that have been successful around the world that don’t require PFAS; however, outdated federal guidelines have kept foams containing PFAS in use for training and firefighting at U.S. commercial and military airports which have negative impacts to the communities which surround these areas, such as La Crosse or Marinette County. If sites are discovered that have PFAS contamination, the DNR will work with responsible parties to investigate the contamination and take any other necessary actions, such as providing emergency drinking water or the cleanup of groundwater.
Solutions:
As of now, the Wisconsin DNR is researching areas that may be contaminated with PFAS, and is working with the parties that are responsible for the contamination to take the necessary actions of clearing the contaminated areas of PFAS. They are also working with the responsible parties to provide emergency drinking water and cleanup of groundwater, so that they may prevent further exposure to the contamination. Many companies in the United States have stopped the use of PFOA and PFOS in many of their products, such as cookware, waterproof clothes, carpeting, and fire fighting foams. However, many of these companies have begun using newer PFAS that haven’t yet undergone the necessary research to determine if they are safe, and therefore may be no safer than PFOA and PFOS. There have been numerous successful tests for fire fighting foams that lack PFAS; however, outdated federal guidelines have kept foams containing PFAS in use for training and firefighting at U.S. commercial and military airports which has negative impacts to the communities that surround these areas.
We believe that the companies which made the products containing PFAS along with the state DNR are to be held responsible for paying for the process of cleaning all contaminated areas in Wisconsin through the process of activated carbon treatment, which is the most studied treatment for PFAS removal. Activated carbon is commonly used to adsorb natural organic compounds, taste and odor compounds, and synthetic organic chemicals in drinking water treatment systems. We also believe that the only way to completely prevent further exposure to PFAS in the United States, is for the government to create new laws that heavily restrict or outright ban the use of all PFAS in products until the necessary research can be done to determine whether a group of PFAS is safe for all organisms and the environment.
Works Cited:
EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas.
Kaeding, Danielle. “Wisconsin Natural Resource Board Votes to Weaken Standard for Pfas in Drinking Water.” Wisconsin Public Radio, 24 Feb. 2022, https://www.wpr.org/wisconsin-natural-resource-board-votes-weaken-standard-pfas-drinking-water.
Kaeding, Madeline Fox and Danielle. “State of Wisconsin Is Suing Johnson Controls, Tyco over Pfas Contamination in Marinette.” Wisconsin Public Radio, 15 Mar. 2022, https://www.wpr.org/state-wisconsin-suing-johnson-controls-tyco-over-pfas-contamination-marinette.
“La Crosse, WI.” City's PFAS Investigation Around the La Crosse Regional Airport | La Crosse, WI, https://www.cityoflacrosse.org/city-services/private-potable-well-sampling-for-pfas.
“Pfas.” PFAS | Wisconsin DNR, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/PFAS.
“Protecting Our Health from PFAS Pollution: Clean Wisconsin.” Clean Wisconsin | Your Environmental Voice Since 1970, 8 July 2021, https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/our-work/water/pfas/.
Schulte, Laura. “Here's What You Should Know about Pfas, the 'Forever Contaminant' Being Identified in More Locations across Wisconsin.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2022, https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/02/18/pfas-wisconsin-what-know-forever-chemicals/6749550001/.
“Water Utility.” City of Madison, Wisconsin, https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/water-quality/water-quality-testing/perfluorinated-compounds#:~:text=At%20least%20some%20PFAS%20are,18%20types%20of%20PFAS%20compounds.
As of now, the Wisconsin DNR is researching areas that may be contaminated with PFAS, and is working with the parties that are responsible for the contamination to take the necessary actions of clearing the contaminated areas of PFAS. They are also working with the responsible parties to provide emergency drinking water and cleanup of groundwater, so that they may prevent further exposure to the contamination. Many companies in the United States have stopped the use of PFOA and PFOS in many of their products, such as cookware, waterproof clothes, carpeting, and fire fighting foams. However, many of these companies have begun using newer PFAS that haven’t yet undergone the necessary research to determine if they are safe, and therefore may be no safer than PFOA and PFOS. There have been numerous successful tests for fire fighting foams that lack PFAS; however, outdated federal guidelines have kept foams containing PFAS in use for training and firefighting at U.S. commercial and military airports which has negative impacts to the communities that surround these areas.
We believe that the companies which made the products containing PFAS along with the state DNR are to be held responsible for paying for the process of cleaning all contaminated areas in Wisconsin through the process of activated carbon treatment, which is the most studied treatment for PFAS removal. Activated carbon is commonly used to adsorb natural organic compounds, taste and odor compounds, and synthetic organic chemicals in drinking water treatment systems. We also believe that the only way to completely prevent further exposure to PFAS in the United States, is for the government to create new laws that heavily restrict or outright ban the use of all PFAS in products until the necessary research can be done to determine whether a group of PFAS is safe for all organisms and the environment.
Works Cited:
EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas.
Kaeding, Danielle. “Wisconsin Natural Resource Board Votes to Weaken Standard for Pfas in Drinking Water.” Wisconsin Public Radio, 24 Feb. 2022, https://www.wpr.org/wisconsin-natural-resource-board-votes-weaken-standard-pfas-drinking-water.
Kaeding, Madeline Fox and Danielle. “State of Wisconsin Is Suing Johnson Controls, Tyco over Pfas Contamination in Marinette.” Wisconsin Public Radio, 15 Mar. 2022, https://www.wpr.org/state-wisconsin-suing-johnson-controls-tyco-over-pfas-contamination-marinette.
“La Crosse, WI.” City's PFAS Investigation Around the La Crosse Regional Airport | La Crosse, WI, https://www.cityoflacrosse.org/city-services/private-potable-well-sampling-for-pfas.
“Pfas.” PFAS | Wisconsin DNR, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/PFAS.
“Protecting Our Health from PFAS Pollution: Clean Wisconsin.” Clean Wisconsin | Your Environmental Voice Since 1970, 8 July 2021, https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/our-work/water/pfas/.
Schulte, Laura. “Here's What You Should Know about Pfas, the 'Forever Contaminant' Being Identified in More Locations across Wisconsin.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2022, https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/02/18/pfas-wisconsin-what-know-forever-chemicals/6749550001/.
“Water Utility.” City of Madison, Wisconsin, https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/water-quality/water-quality-testing/perfluorinated-compounds#:~:text=At%20least%20some%20PFAS%20are,18%20types%20of%20PFAS%20compounds.