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PFAS in Tremont water: MDI Bio Lab study finds moderate exposure risk for residents
Tremont faces a potential health crisis as PFAS chemicals contaminate local water sources.
TREMONT, Maine — Two years ago, tests at Tremont Consolidated School on Mount Desert Island found so-called forever chemicals above Maine's drinking water limits. PFAS chemicals also turned up in a small number of the town's private wells. See the full TV report here.
The MDI Bio Lab is running a pilot study to see how these chemicals affect homeowners’ blood and health. The contamination is most likely from household products.
All the schools now use water filtration systems. But later tests found the toxic compounds in 70 private wells in the town, which has about 1,500 residents.
“15 -17 percent have PFAS in their drinking water that is over the 20 nanogram per liter limit that the state is operating under right now,” Jane Disney, Ph.D., and associate environmental health professor at MDI Bio Lab.
Disney recruited 20 Tremont residents for the “PFAS Understanding in Local Schools and Environments” (PULSE) project.
Preliminary results were recently uploaded to a platform for participants. According to PFAS blood-level guidelines from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), all participants had moderate exposure, which may pose health risks. The US CDC reports that 89 percent of the US population has a similar level of exposure.
“Every one of the 20 participants had some PFAS detected in their blood, and no one was in the higher risk category,” Disney explained.
The platform offers additional resources, including information on compounds linked to health issues, instructions for sharing blood test results with your doctor, and guidance on reducing PFAS exposure.
Disney notes that, unlike contamination in other parts of Maine linked to wastewater sludge, local pollution appears to stem from PFAS in cleaning supplies and floor wax used in schools and homes.
“The products they are using and what is going down the drain; leech fields are not containing PFAS; it is percolating into the groundwater, and it’s seeping into wells,” Disney stated.
“I think it’s extremely important that this research continues and we learn more about it and how it does affect the human body,” Sarah declared.
Sarah hopes to participate in the next phase of the study, which is expected to involve another 100 Tremont residents. Researchers also hope to assess household products used in the community and identify PFAS-free alternatives. All to help reduce toxic exposure for well owners and the environment over time.
Disney hopes to present all of the findings in a public meeting with the Tremont community in May.
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