DANGERS AND RISKS
Perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid are flourinated organic chemicals that are part of a larger group of chemicals referred to as perflourackyl substances. The two chemicals are the most studied of this group and are used to make carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food and other materials like cookware. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a health advisory that recommends pregnant and breast-feeding mothers consider using alternative sources of water for drinking water or for preparation of baby formula that uses tap water with levels of the compounds that exceed the level triggering advisories. To provide Americans, including the most sensitive populations, with a margin of protection from a lifetime of exposure to PFOA and PFOS from drinking water, EPA established the health advisory level at 0.07 parts per billion reduced from a provisional health advisory level of 0.4 ppb.Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Alabama Department of Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management
Over five days’ time, drinking water advisories were issued for pregnant and breast-feeding residents regarding two Northeast Alabama water systems, but then were lifted with plans only to conduct sampling for contaminants.
A total of eight Alabama water systems were the subject of advisories issued Friday by the Alabama Department of Health, Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warning that tests showed concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid.
The two compounds have been placed under new guidelines, which establish a significantly lower threshold of 0.07 parts per billion for triggering health advisories, reduced from a previous provisional level of 0.4 ppb, officials said.
But Monday, the state agencies issued another announcement removing five of the eight systems from the advisory list, including the Northeast Alabama Water District near Fort Payne, Ala., and the Centre Water and Sewer Board in Centre.