Americans should cut back on drinking water with C8 levels of more than 0.4 parts per billion, according to a national emergency health advisory released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday.
It's the first nationwide advisory regarding C8, also known as PFOA (ammonium perfluorooctanoate), a chemical that has been used to manufacture Teflon and other products, including stain-resistant clothing.
Prior to Thursday's action, health advisories pertaining to acceptable C8 limits in drinking water were localized to areas like Lubeck, W.Va., Belpre and Little Hocking, located in proximity to DuPont's Washington Works plant south of Parkersburg, where Teflon was produced since the 1950s.
A U.S. EPA panel has identified the substance as a potential carcinogen, although the review is ongoing.
"Studies are still inconclusive, but for the long term, PFOA is already on a list of likely contaminants," said Sarah Wallace with the division of drinking and ground water at Ohio EPA's Southeastern District. "It doesn't look like this will affect many public water systems, but I don't know about people who get their drinking water from private wells."
Wallace said the national advisory could result in mandatory testing for C8 levels in water systems serving more than 10,000 customers.
"But this is a provisional health advisory," she said. "It could be considered permanent for now, but only until best science indicates it should be changed."
Olga Naidenko, senior scientist with the Washington, D.C-based Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research organization, hopes the health advisory limit set Thursday will change.
"We have to watch how the EPA will use this (0.4 ppb) figure," she said. "Is it permanent, or only for short-term use?
"As a short-term advisory limit, it's okay, but it would not be good for a long-term advisory," Naidenko added.
She noted that President-elect Barack Obama has selected Lisa Jackson, New Jersey's environmental commissioner, to head the U.S. EPA during his administration.
"The C8 limit is 0.04 (parts per billion) in New Jersey, where they looked at the risk of long-term exposure and PFOA accumulation in the body," Naidenko said.
She said studies have indicated that PFOA seems to be related to high cholesterol in children and the chemical may affect development and the immune system.
"This advisory can be a step in the right direction, but only if it is just a step," Naidenko said. "The EWG has been pushing EPA to do a national survey of water systems and test for PFOA. We want to make sure this ball doesn't stop rolling."
She said the environmental group's research has located 11 states where PFOA is found in the water.
In an agreement reached between DuPont and the EPA, a drinking water PFOA limit of 0.5 parts per billion was set for local water systems. Communities like Little Hocking with water systems that exceeded the agreed-to limit were provided with bottled water or a filtration system by DuPont.
Robin Ollis, local spokeswoman for DuPont, said the company's corporate office has issued the following statement regarding the U.S. EPA health advisory issued on Thursday:
"We are reviewing the document, and at this time, it appears the advisory value for PFOA is consistent with nearly all regulatory guidelines established by EPA regions, states and other countries."
On Friday, Ollis said it had not been determined whether the new federal advisory would change the 0.5 ppb limit set in the DuPont and EPA agreement.
Charleston, W.Va., attorney Harry Deitzler represents plaintiffs who filed suit against DuPont over levels of C8 in their drinking water.
"EPA has not yet done an analysis for long-term exposure to the chemical, so this advisory is just a start," he said.
But Deitzler said he believes when the federal agency develops a long-term advisory it will be connected with the New Jersey limit of 0.04 ppb.
"The important point is that we want to stop the exposure and get C8 out of our water systems for now," he said.
Sue Richards of Little Hocking has elected to buy bottled water even though DuPont installed a treatment system at the town's water plant.
Tests showed Richards and her husband had high levels of C8 in their blood systems.
"I had the highest C8 level in our family, but I drank a lot of coffee, so I was drinking more water," she said.
Shortly after the blood tests, Richards developed a skin cancer, but said she has no way of knowing whether it could have been caused by the elevated C8 levels.
"But I definitely think there needs to be closer monitoring of not just our water, but of everything we ingest," she said.
Marietta water customers have little to worry about as far as C8 levels in the city's drinking water, says water superintendent Paul Beach.
"Any C8 levels in our water is at parts per trillion; that's barely detectable in our water wells," he said. "I would be more concerned if the city was located closer to the DuPont facilities below Parkersburg."
