Presentation for the Community Gathering on Groundwater Contamination Plumes in Fairbanks November 27, 2017

Transcription

1 Presentation for the Community Gathering on Groundwater Contamination Plumes in Fairbanks November 27, 2017 Pamela Miller, Executive Director Alaska Community Action on Toxics

2 ACAT believes everyone has the right to clean air, clean water, and toxic-free food. Our goal is to protect Alaskans health and environment by eliminating exposures to toxic chemicals. Our methods include: Science Education Advocacy and community organizing Policy change

3 Community-based participatory research field and community health investigations Respond to community calls for assistance GIS computer mapping Environmental health education Environmental justice and human rights workshops Alaska Collaborative on Health and Environment (AK-CHE) Achieve policy change on local, national and international levels

4 Norton Sound 700 active and abandoned military sites in Alaska Many co-located with Alaska Native villages

5 Global Transport of Persistent Chemicals into the Arctic/North

6 Language to protect vulnerable populations, however still no functioning program for the regulation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals Our chemical environment Over 85,000 chemicals in commerce thousands of these are endocrine-disrupting chemicals Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) ineffective and out of date. Required testing of just over 200 of those chemicals and it regulated only five TSCA amended and signed by the President July 2016 Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21 st Century Act

7 Highly fluorinated chemicals or PFAS Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances What makes this class of chemicals unique? Persistence C-F bond is very strong Complexity Versatility Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or C8

8 Nomenclature-- Per- and Poly-Fluorinated Chemicals Per = fully fluorinated (PFOS perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) Poly = partly fluorinated (8:2 FtS Fluorotelomer sulfonate)

9 Widely used in products Carpets and upholstery Waterproof fabrics Waxes (floor, skis) Non-stick cookware Paints and coatings Food packaging Personal care products Dental floss Electronics semiconductors Metal plating

10 PFOS and PFOA in consumer products PFOS - Perfluorooctane Sulfonate PFOA - Perfluorooctanoic acid PFHxS -Perfluorohexane sulfonate 6:2 FtS - fluorotelomer sulphonate Large group of fluorinated compounds (PFAs/PFCs) industrial uses eg metal plating, semiconductors, coatings consumer products eg Teflon, Scotchguard AFFF firefighting foams: fluorosurfactants / fluorotelomers Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) PFOS listed with some exemptions to be phased out PFOA currently being assessed PFHxS nominated and found to meet criteria

11 PFOS and PFOA are POPs! POPs / persistent organic pollutants 4 characteristics Persistent : PFOS & PFOA don t breakdown Transboundary : travel by air, water & wildlife poisons without passports Bioaccumulative : build up in our bodies passed from mother to child in utero & via breastmilk Toxic Exposure via water, food & dust

12 The Language of the Stockholm Convention Aware of the health concerns in particular impacts upon women and children and, through them, upon future generations. Conscious of the need for global action Acknowledging that precaution underlies the concerns of all the Parties and is embedded within this Convention Determined to protect human health and the environment Acknowledging that the Arctic ecosystems and Indigenous communities are particularly at risk...

13 Sources of Drinking Water Contamination AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) for fuel fires Production facilities Waste disposal sites Wastewater Other industries

14 Watersheds with point sources have higher detection frequencies for PFAs Drinking water supplies for 6 million U.S. residents exceed US EPA s lifetime health advisory (70 ng/l) for PFOS and PFOA. Reference: Hu et al ES&T Letters 3:

15 Patrick Breysse, Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health, described the highly fluorinated chemicals in firefighting foam as one of the most seminal public health challenge for the next decades. Breysse estimated 10 million Americans are currently drinking contaminated water. He said soon we think that hundreds of millions of Americans will be drinking water with levels of these chemicals above levels of concern.

16 NJ DWQI 2016 Increases in serum PFOA concentrations predicted from mean and upper percentile consumption of drinking water with various concentrations of PFOA, as compared to U.S median and 95th percentile serum PFOA levels (NHANES, ).

17 Mixture of PFAS in AFFF Jakobsson (2015) Copenhagen Workshop

18 Discovery of 40 Classes of PFAS in AFFF and AFFF-impacted groundwater Little is known about the newly discovered PFASs with regards to subsurface remediation strategies, transport, and toxicity. The (presumed) wide range of solubilities for the newly discovered PFASs may pose challenges for using ex situ remediation techniques, such as granulated active carbon, because shorter-chained compounds are likely to break through systems designed to capture PFOS and PFOA. Higgens et al. (2017) ES&T Letters

19 A chronology 1938 created by 3M 1949 Teflon non stick 1956 Scotchguard fabric treatment 1962 Dupont Internal health report 1968 PFOS in human blood 1980s US drinking water contamination 1987 PFOA cancer in rats study 2000 OECD PFOS cause for concern US EPA bans PFOS with exemptions 3M announces end PFOS production 2003 NICNAS rec. discontinue PFOS foams 2004 found in 100% umbilical cord blood 2005 Sweden proposes global ban on PFOS 2006 Canada & EU announce PFOS ban US & EU Co s commit to PFOA ban by 2015 (China & Asia ramp up production) 2009 PFOS listed in Stockholm Convention 2013 Europe Union severely restricts PFOA 2014 Norway bans PFOA 2015 US woman wins $1.6 million compensation from Dupont for kidney cancer EU nominates PFOA to Stockholm Convention 2016 US man wins $5.1 million for testicular cancer

20 are there safe levels..which safe level? USEPA Health Advisories 2016 reduce drinking water levels 3-5 fold to combined 70 ppt for PFOS and PFOA Grandjean & Clapp ppt PFOA State Level Drinking Water Guidelines: Alaska 400 ppt New Jersey now 14 ppt MCL PFOA and considering 13 ppt PFNA Vermont 20 ppt Minnesota formerly 300 ppt; In 2017 => reduced to 35 ppt PFOA 27 ppt PFOS New York and West Virginia 70 ppt

21 Evidence of harm Animal studies PFOS : reproductive & developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, thyroid & liver cancer PFOA : liver & kidney toxicity, developmental toxicity, liver, testicular & pancreatic cancer, increase in obesity in offspring of exposed mice Developing fetus is particularly sensitive to PFOS & PFOA toxicity

22 Evidence of adverse human health effects Human epidemiology data report associations between PFOS exposure & high cholesterol, thyroid disease, immune suppression & some reproductive & developmental parameters, including reduced fertility... Some human studies suggest an association with bladder, colon & prostate cancer. (US EPA 2016) report associations between PFOA exposure & high cholesterol, increased liver enzymes, decreased vaccination response, thyroid disorders, pregnancy-induced hypertension & preeclampsia, & cancer (testicular & kidney). (US EPA 2016) PFC Mixtures endocrine /hormone disruption, thyroid disease, immunotoxicity, obesity at current levels

23 So what does the rest of the world think?? U.N. POPs Review Expert Committee concludes : PFOS and PFOA are likely, as a result of long range environmental transport, to lead to significant adverse human health & environmental effects PFOA epidemiological evidence for kidney & testicular cancer, disruption of thyroid function and endocrine disruption in women International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies PFOA possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) EU classifies PFOA carcinogenic & toxic to reproduction May damage the unborn child

24 Neurodevelopmental Higher serum PFAS concentrations were associated with parent-reported behavioral problems: Hyperactivity, peer relationship, and conduct problems Internalizing and externalizing problems Autism screening composite scores Related to post-natal, but not prenatal, exposure Adverse effects in girls and null or positive effects in boys Oulhote et al. Environ Int (2016) Adapted from Carignan 2017

25 Impacts on Immune Function National Toxicology Program (2016): Presumed immune hazard to humans PFOA and PFOS: Antibody response suppression in animals and humans PFOA: Reduced infectious disease resistance, increased hypersensitivity-related outcomes, and increased autoimmune disease incidence in humans PFOS: Suppresses disease resistance and natural killer cell activity National Toxicology Program Monograph on Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) or Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) (September 2016) Adapted from Carignan 2017

26 Reduced Infectious Disease Resistance PFAS in Children (Norway) Granum et al. J Immunotoxicol (2013) Children whose blood had higher PFAS levels: produced fewer antibodies to rubella vaccination at 3 years of age & had increased frequencies of the common cold and gastroenteritis Adapted from Carignan 2017

27 Antibody Response Suppression Children with higher blood levels of PFAS produce fewer antibodies after vaccination for diphtheria and tetanus (DTaP). Morgensen et al Vaccination Used As A Model Of Immune Function Extrapolation suggests drinking water standard closer to 1 ppt Grandjean and Clapp New Solutions (2015) ; slide adapted from Carignan 2017

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29 ATSDR Physician Fact nician_fact_sheet_508.pdf

30 Routine Physical Cholesterol Thyroid Iodine sufficiency Vitamin D sufficiency Kidney function Reproductive cancers Adapted from Carignan 2017

31 Suggested Actions andactivities Organize and meet with others who are affected in Fairbanks Contact other groups around the country (e.g. Testing for Pease) Decide what you want and how to get there Safe water source Health protective standard Biomonitoring of blood levels Health screening and/or medical monitoring Accountability Clean up Compensation Other? Establish strategy committee

32 How can I reduce my exposure? Avoid stain-resistant carpets and upholstery Avoid products with words containing perfluor- and polyfluor-, and PTFE on the label Choose cast iron, glass, or enamel cookware Filter drinking water with a solid block carbon filtration system Eat fresh foods to avoid fast food packaging Avoid microwave popcorn and greasy foods wrapped in paper Tell retailers and manufacturers you want products without fluorinated chemicals

33 Resources Alaska Collaborative on Health and the Environment Northeastern University PFAS Project Testing for Pease National Toxics Network (Australia)