U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3 Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia Perfluorinated Chemicals In Drinking Water Questions & Answers %' A '1 ysgj Willow Grove and Warminster, PA February 2015 At the request of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing to sample pri- vate drinking water wells in the area of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NASJRB) in Horsham, PA and in the area of the Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster (NAWC), PA for perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). To date, EPA has sampled 107 private wells near NAWC and the Navy is providing bottled water to 12 prop- erties that have levels of PFCs at or above the EPA's provisional health advisory level (HAL). Near NASJRB, EPA has sampled 216 private wells and the Navy is providing bottled water to more than 40 properties that have levels of PFCs at or above the EPA's provisional HAL. Samples taken last summer showed levels of PFOS and PFOA above EPA's provisional HAL in private drink- ing water wells. EPA continues to coordinate closely with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, Pennsylvania De- partment of Environmental Protection (PADEP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and public drinking water suppliers to ensure that public health is protected. Health Q: Can I continue to drink the public water? A: Yes. The Horsham Water and Sewer Au- thority (HWSA), Warrington Township Water and Sewer Department (WTWSD), or Warminster Mu- nicipal Authority (WMA) wells that had PFOS and/or PFOA levels exceeding the provisional HALs have been taken off-line until appropriate treatment can be installed. Drinking water wells at the Horsham Air Guard Station have also been re- moved from drinking water purposes. Q: What are Provisional Health Advisory Lev- els (HALs)? A: In 2009, EPA issued provisional HALs for PFOS and PFOA. There are no drinking water standards for these chemicals. The provisional HAL values are 0.2 micrograms per liter of water (|ig/L) for PFOS and 0.4 |ig/L for PFOA. While EPA continues its research on these chemi- cals, it's important to note that HALs are designed to have a significant built-in cushion of protection to account for uncertainties related to toxicity and other sources of exposure. Q: How long have I been exposed to PFOS and PFOA in my drinking water? A: Unfortunately, there is no way to determine how long this chemical has been in the water supply. The drinking water production wells, where PFOS and PFOA were detected at or above the HALs, have been taken offline to prevent further exposure. In addition, the Navy, EPA and PADEP continue to investigate po- tential sources. Q: What are the health effects from being exposed to PFOS and PFOA at levels above the HAL? A: In laboratory studies of animals given large doses of PFCs, results indicate that PFOS and PFOA can cause developmental, reproductive, and other adverse effects including increased liver weight in laboratory animals. In humans, more research is needed, but the most consistent findings from epidemiology studies are elevated blood serum total cholesterol levels among exposed populations, and limited findings related to low infant birth weights. ------- Health, Cont'd Q: Do PFOS and PFOA cause cancer? A: Both chemicals, in large doses, have caused tumors in animal studies. At this time, there is not enough information to de- termine, for certain, if cancers and other adverse health effects in humans are caused by PFOS and PFOA. There are some epidemiology data that indicate a link between PFOA (but not PFOS) and kidney and testicular cancers in humans however, more re- search is underway to evaluate the impacts of these compounds on human health and the environment. We do know that studies show that nearly all peo- ple have some level of PFCs in their blood, regard- less of age. People may be exposed to PFCs through food, water, or from using some commer- cial products. Q: What can I do to protect my family? A: A few simple steps can help reduce your ex- posures to PFOS and PFOA in drinking water, in- cluding: • Avoid ingesting contaminated tap water above the provisional HALs for PFOS and PFOA. • For private well users in the test area, partici- pate in the Navy's sampling program. • When considering a household treatment sys- tem, consult the manufacturer about the sys- tem's specifications. Research is underway to study the effectiveness of household treatment systems on reducing the levels of PFCs in pri- vate drinking water, however, there is currently no guidance for private well users regarding the proper filter change and maintenance for treat- ing PFCs using household treatment systems. • Discuss your health concerns with your family doctor. • Toxicologists from EPA and CDC/ATSDR are available to answer questions. To set up a meet- ing, please see contact information to the right. Q: Can I prepare baby formula with water con- taminated with PFOS/PFOA above the HAL, or at any level? A: To reduce potential exposure to infants, care- givers should use pre-mixed baby formula or reconsti- tute using alternative water sources not containing PFOS and/or PFOA. Q: Should I be concerned about the other PFCs listed on my private well results? A: At this time, we don't have much information about the toxicity of the other PFCs. Most toxicity studies involving PFCs have focused on PFOS and PFOA. As more research is done on this group of chemicals, we will learn more about potential health effects. Q: Can I use my private well to water my vegetable garden? A: From a health perspective, ingesting PFOS and PFOA in drinking water, above the provisional HALs, is the primary exposure pathway of concern. PFOS and PFOA are unlikely to be taken up by plant roots. As a precautionary measure, vegetables or fruits irri- gated by contaminated water should be washed thor- oughly prior to consumption. Q: Can I use my private well for showering/ bathing children? A: Yes. Our primary concern is the ingestion of PFOS and PFOA in drinking water above the provi- sional HALs. For additional information about health concerns, contact: Karl Markiewicz, PhD Senior Toxicologist DHHS/CDC/ATSDR 215-814-3149 kvm4@cdc.gov Linda Watson EPA Toxicologist 215-814-3116 watson. lindaVvcpa. gov Dawn Ioven EPA Toxicologist 215-814-3320 ioven. dawnVvcpa. gov ------- Private Well testing Q: Do I have to get my private well tested? A: If you live within the testing area, EPA and our health partners recommend that you get your well tested so you may take the proper steps to ensure the health and safety of your family. The testing process is quick and offered at no cost to residents. Q: Can I get my well tested if I live outside of the testing area? A: At this time, the Navy is focusing their testing on certain areas where PFOS and PFOA are impact- ing the public drinking water supply. If the results of the current sampling indicate the need to expand the testing area, the Navy will do additional sampling. Q: Who is paying for the testing and alternate wa- ter supply for private well users? A: The U.S. Navy is paying for the testing and al- ternate water until an appropriate solution is imple- mented. EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) Q: What is the Unregulated Contaminant Moni- toring Rule (UCMR)? A: The EPA's UCMR program is used to collect data for selected contaminants, suspected to be pre- sent in drinking water, to determine how frequently and at what level they occur. These contaminants do not have health-based standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Q: How often does EPA look for new contami- nants? A: Every five years EPA develops a Contaminant Candidate List to evaluate new chemicals not cur- rently tested for in public drinking water supplies. From this list and other sources of information, EPA identifies a smaller group of contaminants (30 or less) for monitoring by public water systems. The next list of chemicals to be monitored under the UCMR is due in 2016. UCMR3 contains 28 chemical contaminants and two viruses. Of the chemical contaminants, only six are PFCs and only two of the PFC's have provisional health advisory levels at this time (PFOS and PFOA). Q: Do all water systems have to sample for UCMR contaminants? A: No. Only those water systems serving more than 10,000 people are required to sample for UCMR contaminants. In addition, approximately 800 small water systems are randomly selected to be included in the sampling program. Additional Information Q: What are PFOS and PFOA? A: PFOS and PFOA are organic chemicals used in repellants for stains, water, oil, and grease. Commercial and consumer products containing or degrading to these compounds were first intro- duced in the 1950s. They have been used in a variety of products such as the fabric of upholstered furniture, carpets, non- stick cookware, floor wax, and the lining of mi- crowave popcorn bags. Firefighting foams also contain these chemicals. Over time, both chemi- cals became widely distributed in the environment and have been detected in the blood of humans, wildlife, and fish. For more information about PFOS and PFOA, please see links to fact sheets on the last page of this fact sheet. Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs), including PFOS and PFOA, are part of the third list of contaminants to be investigated, therefore we call it UCMR3. ------- Contact Us U.S. EPA: Larry Brown EPA Community Involvement Coordinator brown.larry@epa.gov 215-814-5527 U.S. Navy Willington Lin BRAC Environmental Coordinator Willie.Lin@navy.mil 215-897-4904 Health Questions: Karl Markiewicz, PhD Senior Toxicologist DHHS/CDC/ATSDR 215-814-3149 (office) kvm4@cdc.gov Linda Watson EPA Toxicologist 215-814-3116 watson.linda@epa.gov Dawn Ioven EPA Toxicologist 215-814-3320 ioven.dawn@epa.gov Links to More Information Provisional Health Advisory Fact Sheet: http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/drinking/upload/2009 01 15 criteria drinking pha-PFOA PFOS.pdf UCMR Fact Sheet: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/ucmr/ucmr3/upload/UCMR3 FactSheet General.pd PFOS/ PFOA Emerging Contaminant Fact Sheet: http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-04/documents/ factsheet contaminant pfos pfoa march2014.pdf EPA Headquarters Frequently Asked Questions Page: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/pubs/faq.html ATSDR TOXFAQs Link for Perfluoroalkyls: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=l 116&tid=23 7 ------- |