Study key to knowing health impact of contaminated water

Those tested included children at two local day-care centers, nursing mothers, pregnant women and adults who worked at the tradeport and consumed water from a contaminated well.

The chemicals are known broadly as PFAS, an acronym for perfluoroalkyl and polyluoroalkyl substances, which the Centers for Disease Control describes as "a large group of man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s."

In May 2014, Portsmouth closed the Haven well at Pease Tradeport after Air Force testing found levels of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, more than 12 times higher than the federal provisional health advisory. There is consensus that the PFAS at Pease came from firefighting foam used when Pease was an Air Force Base, from 1956 to 1991. Testing for these chemicals did not begin nationally until 2013, which is why we are now seeing reports of them showing up in drinking water throughout the country.

The problem for the adults and children exposed at Pease and other locations is that while the EPA considers PFAS "contaminants of emerging concern," their impact on human health is not well understood at this time. While some early studies on animals and humans suggest PFAS may interfere with the immune system, hormones, growth, learning and behavior of infants and create complications during pregnancy, more research is needed.

In its guidance to medical professionals, the CDC writes: "There is currently no established PFAS blood level at which a health effect is known nor is there a level that is clearly associated with past or future health problems."

For that reason, we applaud Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., whose efforts resulted in Pease being included in a $7 million national study on the health impact of PFAS on adults and children that is set to begin as soon as 2019.

Shaheen also blasted a report Monday that suggested the EPA under Scott Pruitt is trying to block a report compiled by the Department of Health and Human Services that shows PFAS chemicals are more dangerous to human health at lower concentrations than previously believed.

"Seacoast families deserve answers about the health impacts of PFAS chemicals and I'm happy to report that Pease will be a centerpiece of the first nationwide PFAS study, getting us one step closer to that goal," Shaheen said last week. "These families have waited far too long for peace of mind and should be able to trust their drinking water. This important development is a testament to the outstanding work that has been done locally to document exposure - information that will be invaluable to this study and guide communities across the country on best practices."

Here in New Hampshire there is concern about PFAS that have been found leaching from the Coakley landfill in Greenland and North Hampton and residents in Litchfield and Merrimack recently began to receive municipal water after health officials discovered groundwater contamination from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics in their private wells. Across the country, more than 660 sites have been identified that are dealing with PFAS contamination, many of them former military sites like Pease.

While all groundwater pollutants are a problem, carbon based chemicals break down far faster than inorganic chemicals like those classified as PFAS, which have half-lives ranging from two to nine years. The half-lives of two of the chemicals found at Pease PFOA an PFOS are three to four years and five to six years respectively. Another chemical found in the Pease blood tests, PFHxS, has a half-life of eight to nine years.

At this point, those who have had their blood tested know they have elevated levels of PFAS chemicals but neither they nor their doctors know if there is anything they can or should be doing about it. This major health study will help remove some of that uncertainty, benefiting not just workers at Pease but those around the world who have been exposed to these chemicals through their drinking water.