Two schools in Maine, Mill Pond and Hodgdon Middle/High School, located in Aroostook county, will implement a temporary ban on drinking from the fountain due to elevated levels of PFAS chemicals in the drinking supply. As a precautionary measure, hundreds of students will be provided with bottled water until the installation of a filtration system for tap water is completed. These schools were the first in the county to conduct tests for PFAS over a year ago, and the results revealed levels exceeding the safe limit of 20 parts per trillion mandated by the state. While school administrators had anticipated that carbon treatment systems would rectify the issue before the start of the academic year, the project’s completion is now expected in late November.
Last year, two schools in Hodgdon, Maine were directed to prohibit drinking water from fountains and faucets as the PFAS levels in their water far exceeded the state’s threshold of 20 parts per trillion. The school district is currently in the process of installing filtration systems to remove a significant majority of PFAS from the water supply. However, this undertaking comes with a substantial cost, estimated to surpass the $120,000 grant from the Maine Drinking Water Program. Despite the inconvenience caused, Superintendent Tyler Putnam acknowledges the necessary nature of this process and appreciates the supportive community.
In December, the state instructed the Hodgdon school district to immediately cease the use of water at their schools due to dangerously high PFAS levels. This action was part of an augmented state-led water testing initiative encompassing schools, water districts, nursing homes, and select housing developments. In response, the school district opted to install a carbon treatment system capable of absorbing and filtering out organic and synthetic compounds. Accordingly, Mr. Putnam explains that the schools anticipate a return to tap water usage by late November, emphasizing the importance of correctly treating incoming water. In the meantime, the reliance on bottled water will persist until state testing confirms the safety of tap water for consumption.
It is worth noting that these two Maine schools are not alone in their efforts to test potentially contaminated water. Numerous schools across the state and the nation have commenced similar initiatives. In 2020, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency undertook tests on 90% of Ohio’s public water systems supplying 250 schools and daycares. Likewise, Massachusetts government officials mandated the testing of water sources serving students in New Salem and Wendell, both of which revealed high levels of PFAS chemicals. Consequently, special filtration systems were installed by the respective school boards. Similarly, about 460 schools and 1,380 public water systems in Michigan underwent water testing in a $1.7 million endeavor five years ago. Furthermore, an indigenous school in northcentral Minnesota, Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, conducted its own testing due to the absence of comprehensive government-led efforts. Unfortunately, the school’s drinking water wells tested positive for PFAS, and a subsequent investigation uncovered cases of cancer and thyroid issues among employees.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals with a microscopic nature that makes them resistant to degradation for thousands of years in both the environment and the human body. Consequently, they are often referred to as “forever chemicals.” PFAS are commonly used in cookware for their nonstick properties, as well as in raincoats for their water-repellent capabilities. They are also found in firefighting foam and runoff from factories, which can seep into groundwater. PFAS frequently line food packaging, posing a risk of leaching into soil and air over time when disposed of in landfills. These chemicals contaminate water supplies through various mechanisms, including industrial and military runoff, agricultural sites utilizing PFAS-laden pesticides, and sewage treatment plants.
Numerous studies have explored the relationship between PFAS and cancer, with a particular focus on one of the approximately 12,000 chemicals, PFOA. For example, a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2020 revealed that elevated levels of PFOA in the bloodstream almost doubled the risk of developing renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. Another study conducted in 2011 examined breast cancer rates in Inuit women in Greenland and discovered a correlation between breast cancer and higher levels of PFOA and PFOS in their blood, as well as elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Furthermore, exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy increases the likelihood of delivering an underweight baby. Given the pervasiveness of PFAS exposure, a CDC report estimated that 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood.
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