The Daily, the original podcast from the New York Times released an episode today entitled “Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?”.
This episode will be of particular interest to Hopkinton residents that are following the problems with our town’s public water system. As readers know, a Hopkinton Board of Health advisory remains in place for infants, pregnant women, nursing mothers and those who are immunocompromised. They are advised not to cook with or drink town water, and instead should use bottled water. The town offers a Bottled Water Rebate Program for affected residents.
This is due to the higher than allowed limits of PFAS detected in the Fruit Street well (#6) in July 2021. While for years the federal limit was 70 parts per trillion (notated as ng/L or nanograms per liter), Massachusetts adopted a stricter standard of 20 ng/L some years ago. The Fruit Street well tested at 20.9 ng/L, just slightly over, and this triggered a public notice and remediation process. Notably nearby wells 1, 2, and 3 were also tested and were shown to be below the legal limit.
Last week, new guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) went into effect.
The new regulations govern five specific forever chemicals out of more than 12,000 types. The updated limits restrict PFOA and PFOS to 4 parts per trillion, while PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA are capped at 10 parts per trillion.
To put it in perspective, one part per trillion is akin to a single drop of water diluted into 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
These legally binding standards must be implemented by water utilities within the next five years. The EPA predicts that enforcing these new limits will benefit around 100 million people across the country by significantly lowering their risk of exposure. This reduction is expected to prevent numerous deaths and illnesses, including cancer cases.
In April 2023, a HopNews investigation revealed that the PFAS in the Fruit Street well was likely caused by the State Fire Academy, who for years used the Fruit Street complex (then known as Pyne Sand and Gravel) as a regional training ground for firefighters learning to battle gas fires. The firefighters routinely used Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), a fire suppressant used to extinguish flammable liquid fires such as fuel fires. AFFF is known to contain heavy amounts of PFAS. The town is in the process of constructing a PFAS filtration system at Well #6 and it is expect to come online in the near future.
>> RELATED: Town Water Likely Contaminated by State Fire Academy
>> RELATED: Continuing coverage of the PFAS in Hopkinton’s public water system.
In this episode of The Daily, New York Times Magazine contributing writer Kim Tingley shares the history of PFAS, from its development and initial uses in World War 2, to commercial applications in common household products such as Teflon and Scotch Guard. Tingley explains how these chemicals have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, and the myriad lawsuits that have resulted from it.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or below.
