PFAS: Potential Health Risks & Effects - Essay Sample

Introduction

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are stable artificial chemicals, which contain properties that permit them to deter both in oil and water. The PFAS are very stable, and they have diverse properties and lengths at one end, and these can vary the toxicity of the chemicals. PFAS has been believed to contain latent negative health effects on the human body. Some of these health impacts include; cancer, reduced fertility, suppression of hormones, damaging of the liver, obesity, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol. PFAS might be released into water, sources of water, soil, and also air. PFAS has been perceived on the surface water sources of Michigan and in some species of fish that live in those waters. This detection made the members of the community angry, and they started questioning whether the health problems they have been experiencing over the years could have been caused by the PFAS found in their water bodies, which they use for domestic use. This paper provides background information about PFAS and summarizes the management and policy to address the issue of contaminated drinking water.

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Background Information About PFAS

Perfluoroalkyl and poly-perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances consist of a huge group of insistent anthropogenic chemicals that are used in manufacturing procedures and commercial goods for over the last 60 years. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also referred to as C8, is a perfluorinated carboxylic acid formed and used globally as a manufacturing surfactant in chemical procedures and as a solid feedstock (Steenland, Fletcher, & Savitz, 2010). PFOAs have been a major health concern because they can stay in the body for a very long time, causing injury to the liver, affection reproduction, growth, and development. Perfluorooctasulfonic acid is an anthropogenic universal and fluorosurfactant pollutant. It is the main constituent in a fabric protector, Scotchgard, and several tint repellents.

The main sources of these pollutants are airports, PFAS industrial and processing sites, and military fixings that require firefighting foams. Other products like cans for packaged food, cosmetics, clothing, furniture, household cleaners, and non-stick pans comprise of a substance known as a perfluorinated compound, which later breaks down to form a PFOA, PFAS, and PFOS in the human body or the environment. The PFCs are used in huge industrial goods and products. Also, the products of Scotchgard that were produced before the year 2001 turn into PFOA in the environment.

The history use of the chemicals is widely recognized because they are known for their efficiency in decreasing surface tension (liquids) and surface energy (solids). The polyether products and side-chain fluorinated polymers of PFAS assist soil, grease, and oil resistance to food packing and other constituents. The exceptional characteristics of PFAS come from the power of the carbon-fluorine bond. PFOA is stated as the essential perfluoro carboxylic acid (PFCA), and it produces various salts and functional byproducts. Formerly, a PFOA ammonium salt was used in making fluoropolymers, and I have been noticed as trails in different products of fluoropolymers, for example, the non-stick products (Trudel, Horowitz, Wormuth, Scheringer, Cousins, & Hungerbuhler, 2008).

These pollutants got into the water through the exposure of water body surfaces. For example, in Michigan, the major centers for these crises are located on two diverse sides of the Lower Peninsula. First, contamination of PFAs emerged at the prior Wurtsmith Airforce Grounds, in Oscada, near Lake Huron, and the community surrounding it is being affected. The manufacturing industries that are near water sources release their waste products containing perfluorinated components. Since they are stable and durable, they stay in water for a long time, break down into PFOAs, which later, when consumed by humans, cause health complications.

Management and Policy alternatives to Address

The Washtenaw County Health Department advised the residents of Michigan State if they need to test for these pollutants in drinking water, they should use a licensed laboratory such as the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and the United States Department of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For a reliable testing method, the EPA Department suggested the use of method 537. The residents of Michigan are provided with an 18-analyte testing kit that costs 290 dollars. The test has the EPAs 537.1 testing method, and it is reliable for all safe tests (Whitley, 2019). EPA is focused on backing Michigan and public water sources as they decide the right ways to decrease exposure to PFOs and PFOA in drinking water.

The options for individuals with home wells and the community water supplies can use the EPA's testing kits to tests for the pollutants in drinking water so that they can know if it is safe for domestic use. Once they test for PFOA and PFA's and find them to be existing in water, they can use the recommended methods to treat those pollutants to make the water safe for domestic use (Hu, Andrews, Lindstrom, Bruton, Schaider, Grandjean, & Higgins, 2016). To reduce exposure to PFA's, you are advised that, if drinking water has high levels of PFA's than the specified level by EPA, you can use other sources of water for domestic use, which are recommended by your state government. When you are consuming fish, consult the health, and environmental departs for quality fish that are not contaminated by PFA's (US EPA, 2016).

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy suggested water filtration methodologies that get rid of these pollutants in water. Michigan residents were advised to use reverse osmosis and granular activated carbon to lessen the PFAS components in drinking water. These systems offer a less flow of water than a regular water valve that reduces the PFAS amounts and other impurities in drinking water. The Reverse Osmosis is more efficient than the Granular Activated Carbon because it decreases more pollutants in water, such as nitrates and arsenic substances.

Some policies and regulations address these pollutants, and they are working because even though PFAS has been recognized more these days than the early days, the rate of pollutants being disposed of in water and the human environment has reduced. Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), in partnership with other water supply operators, put measures to reduce the exposure of these pollutants.

Other policy alternatives that might help to reduce this legacy contamination is putting measures on companies that make PFAS not to release their waste into water and put cleansing substances that will reduce the amount of PFAS being exposed in the environment. Although Michigan State is working hard to reduce these pollutants, PFAS cannot be eliminated because PFAS can still be found in food products in small amounts. Michigan Health Council called for health review after every two years to determine the level of toxicity in water surfaces and is also set collective standards to safeguard the public against addictive impacts from disclosure to several PFAS chemicals (Whitley, 2019).

EPA introduced a program where Michigan Residents could learn how to define the features of PFAS, recognize routes that disclose PFAS, and they will know the impacts of PFAS in the body. They would learn how to reduce PFAS in drinking water, and also reduce the exposure of PFAS (Steenland, Fletcher, & Savitz, 2010). The centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a CEU's program to educate people about these pollutants and how to reduce them

References

Hu, X. C., Andrews, D. Q., Lindstrom, A. B., Bruton, T. A., Schaider, L. A., Grandjean, P., ... & Higgins, C. P. (2016). Detection of poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in U.S. drinking water linked to industrial sites, military fire training areas, and wastewater treatment plants. Environmental science & technology letters, 3(10), 344-350. Retrieved from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00260

Steenland, K., Fletcher, T., & Savitz, D. A. (2010). Epidemiologic evidence on the health effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Environmental health perspectives, 118(8), 1100-1108. Retrieved from https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/abs/10.1289/ehp.0901827

Trudel, D., Horowitz, L., Wormuth, M., Scheringer, M., Cousins, I. T., & Hungerbuhler, K. (2008). Estimating consumer exposure to PFOS and PFOA. Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 28(2), 251-269. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2008.01017.x

US EPA. (2016). Drinking water health advisories for PFOA and PFOS.

Whitley, J. M. (2019). Laws, Regulations, and Action Plans for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances found in Michigan drinking water supplies. Retrieved from https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_projects/j3860d660