Analies Dyjak  |  Policy Nerd 

Our blog has been following PFAS contaminants such as the GenX chemical for months now, often reporting on new developments before mainstream news.
Today marks an important milestone: EPA has released a draft toxicity profile for GenX. This long-awaited toxicity report contains critical information for many states who have been seeking answers on this harmful contaminant.

EPA’s Draft Toxicity Assessments for GenX and PFBS:

EPA determined a candidate Chronic Reference Dose of 0.00008 mg/kg-day. A reference dose is the daily oral intake not anticipated to cause negative health effects over a lifetime. A reference dose is not a carcinogenic risk factor, however, EPA states that the toxicity data for GenX are “suggestive of cancer.” According to the draft report, oral exposure in animals had negative health effects on the kidney, blood, immune system, developing fetus, and liver. The draft toxicity report also provided information on PFBS, which is a replacement chemical for PFOS. The candidate Chronic Reference Dose for PFBS is 0.01 mg/kg-day, and there was insufficient data to determine its carcinogenic potential.

What Is GenX?

GenX is part of a category of contaminants called PFAS, or per and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The GenX chemical linked to cancer has gained national attention since being discovered in the Cape Fear River in June of 2017.
PFAS have historically been used in consumer products like Scotchgard, Gore-Tex, Teflon, and even the inside of popcorn bags. PFAS are also used in firefighting foam, which is the major source of its pollution in waterways across the country.

Background:

The Chemours plant in Fayetteville, North Carolina produces refrigerants, ion exchange membranes, and other fluoroproducts. They have been discharging liquid effluent into the Cape Fear River for years, which has contaminated drinking water for the entire area. GenX is the replacement chemical for PFOA. After PFOA was discovered to be toxic, manufacturers addressed the issue by making an equally-as toxic replacement. Manufacturers of PFAS have been doing this for years, which is why there are so many different variations present in the environment.

Is GenX Federally Regulated By EPA?

No. This means that municipalities are not required to test for PFBS or GenX in water. Additionally, this draft toxicity level is not a lifetime health advisory level, which states would be more inclined to follow.

When Will A Drinking Water Standard Be Determined?

Don’t hold your breath on anytime soon! The regulatory process can take decades, especially for such a persistent contaminant in the environment. This is more than enough time for adverse health effects to set in, and we recommend consumers do everything they can to learn about their water and protect themselves, rather than wait for the government to step in.

What Does This Mean For Me?

EPA is in the very early stages of determining a regulation or even health advisory for GenX. This draft toxicity level needs to go through public comment so that states, tribes, and municipalities can offer input and recommendations. If you want to see third-party data on filters that remove GenX in water and other PFAS, click HERE. 

Analies Dyjak | Policy Nerd

October 4, 2018- Elon Musk and The Musk Foundation confirmed a donation of $480,350 to Flint, Michigan Community Schools in hopes of addressing lead contamination in drinking water. Flint is one of many school districts across the country that has been working hard to generate long-term solutions for lead contamination in drinking water. This article examines whether the proposed filtration technology will effectively remove lead from drinking water. 

How Will The Funding Be Used?

Musk initially announced the filters would comply with FDA’s 5 parts per billion standard (which is actually the standard for lead in bottled water), instead of EPA’s 15 part per billion Action Level. While definitely lower than EPA's threshold, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Center for Disease Control have both acknowledged that there is no safe level of lead for children. The Musk Foundation has not released the exact type of water filters Flint, Michigan Community Schools plans to use. Press releases have indicated some type of ultraviolet filtration system. 

What Is UV Water Filtration?

Ultraviolet filtration eliminates biological contamination from drinking water. This includes bacteria, viruses, and harmful microorganisms like E.coli. The idea behind UV filtration is it prevents microorganisms from reproducing, by striking each individual cell. It’s comparable to and often more effective than using chlorine to kill bacterial contamination.

Does UV Filtration Filter Lead?

No. While UV filters are great at removing biological contamination from drinking water, they have several limitations. UV filters by themselves are not able to remove chemical contaminants including Volatile Organic Compounds, chlorine, lead, mercury and other heavy metals. To remove chemical contaminants (including lead), a UV-based system would need to be paired with lead removal media or reverse osmosis.

Our Take

Contrary to a lot of media reports, UV filters do not remove lead from water, so we're hoping that the UV is paired with a system that removes lead. We also hope that the filters are installed at the point of use, because water treated by a point of entry filter can accumulate lead in any pipe "downstream" of the filtration unit. 

Analies Dyjak, M.A. | Head of Policy and Perspectives

**Updated 9/21/2021 to include recent studies

What Is 1,4-Dioxane?

1,4-dioxane is a synthetic industrial chemical, typically used as a stabilizer for chlorinated solvents. It was historically used in the production of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), which was phased out in 1985 after scientists determined it to be an ozone-depleting substance. Today, 1,4-dioxane is not typically added directly to consumer products but can be an unintentional byproduct in certain plastics. It’s introduced as a trace contaminant in certain ingredients, most commonly detergents, foaming agents, emulsifiers and solvents, including Polyethylene Glycol or PEG.  

Is 1,4-Dioxane Regulated?

1,4-dioxane in drinking water is not federally regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, even though EPA has classified it as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans by all exposure routes.” There are health advisories in place but a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) does not exist. This means that unless a state has its own enforceable standard, utility providers are not required to remove it from drinking water. 1,4-dioxane is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for indoor workplace air quality. 1,4-dioxane is on the fourth drinking water Contaminant Candidate List and is also part of the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. In 2019, New York State became the first state to regulate 1,4-Dioxane by establishing Maximum Contaminant Limits (MCL) of 10 ppb in cosmetics, and 2 ppb in personal care and household cleaning products by 12/31/2022, which will be further reduced to 1 ppb by 12/31/2023.  

How Does 1,4-Dioxane Enter Drinking Water?

1,4-dioxane has contaminated drinking water through both groundwater and surface water. Many instances of groundwater contamination are a result of 1,4-dioxane being used in various manufacturing processes. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1,4-dioxane can easily travel into groundwater because it is extremely soluble in water and does not stick to soil particles. 

1,4-dioxane contamination on Long Island, New York was a result of routine spills or direct disposal of solvents to the ground from manufacturing operations between the 1950s to the 1990s. 

1,4-dioxane was used in the manufacture of medical filters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The methods of waste disposal used between 1966 to 1986 resulted in 1,4-dioxane being released into the environment, causing widespread groundwater contamination. 1,4-dioxane in drinking water continues to be a concern for local residents, even decades after the pollution was first discovered and remediation was to have been taking place. 

1,4-Dioxane has also been released into surface water, both into rivers or public sewage systems. Sources of contamination include effluent from industrial facilities as well as wastewater treatment plants.   

1,4-Dioxane Health Effects In Drinking Water

1,4-dioxane can harm the eyes, skin, lungs, liver, and kidneys. As previously stated, 1,4-Dioxane is classified by the US EPA as a likely human carcinogen. Like other contaminants, the dose and duration of exposure affect the likelihood and severity of adverse 1,4-dioxane health effects.

Why is 1,4-Dioxane So Hard To Remove From Drinking Water?

1,4-Dioxane is completely soluble in water. It dissolves completely, even at high concentrations. It also does not readily evaporate. Traditional treatment methods are ineffective at removing 1,4-Dioxane from drinking water, so a few larger municipalities have begun to incorporate specialized methods for 1,4-Dioxane removal in their processes. These can be prohibitively expensive for smaller municipal water suppliers, so there is not likely to be a widespread solution for 1,4-Dioxane removal implemented any time soon.  

What Can I Do if I Have 1,4-Dioxane in My Water?

There are no federal testing standards for 1,4-Dioxane, so we are unable to provide removal data. Hydroviv’s filters have however been tested and certified by NSF to remove VOC’s with similar chemical properties to 1,4-Dioxane. Most submicron pore size carbon block filters are able to address 1,4-dioxane, with the exception of granular activated carbon. A slower flow rate will also assist the carbon block filter by ensuring enough contact time with the 1,4-Dioxane and the filtration media. For example, Hydroviv drinking water filters incorporate carbon into our submicron block and at our 1 gallon/minute flow rate.

Stephanie Angione, Ph.D.

Updated 1/29/2020 to include new data.  

What Are Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)?

Fluorinated substances include a diverse range of chemical compounds that all contain at least one fluorine (F) atom. These substances vary in the amount of fluorine atoms they contain, and those that are highly fluorinated, or contain many F atoms per carbon (C) atom are referred to as perfluoroalkyl substances. These highly fluorinated substances are unique in their hydrophobic (water repellent) and lipophobic/oleophobic (fat/oil repellent) properties, as well as their general chemical and thermal stability.

These properties have made PFAS substances common in many types of applications, including creation of non-stick cooking surfaces, stain and water resistant coatings on fabrics, creation of oil/fat resistant food packaging and also in foam materials used to fight and prevent fires. Additionally, the automotive, aerospace, and construction industries have widely used these fluorinated substances for various applications due to their low friction properties.

Common PFASs include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which have been used in the production of Teflon and Scotchgard respectively. The manufacturer 3M phased out the production of PFOS in 2002 and the EPA helped manufacturers of PFOA phase out production completely in 2015.

How Do PFAS Substances Contaminate the Environment?

PFASs are deemed “emerging contaminates” by the EPA; meaning that they are chemicals or materials thought to pose a potential threat to health and the environment, but haven't yet been regulated. PFASs contribute to environmental contamination largely due to the fact that they are highly resistant to degradation processes, and thus persist for many years in water, air and can enter the food chain via bioaccumulation in certain animal species.

The primary sources of human exposure to PFAS include:

• Consumption of contaminated drinking water
• Consumption of food that is packaged in materials containing PFASs, which have included fast food containers, microwave popcorn bags. (Most food manufactures have stopped using PFASs in these types of packaging.)
• Consumption of food that contains PFASs, including fish and shellfish
• Contact (hand to mouth) with clothing, carpets or other fabrics that have been treated with PFASs. (Skin exposure to PFASs on their own does not cause significant absorption into the body.)

What Are the Health Effects of PFAS?

The discovery of persistent contamination of drinking water sources with PFOA in West Virginia and Ohio prompted a large epidemiological study called the C8 Health Project. The study included nearly 70,000 individuals who had elevated PFOA levels in blood – approximately 500% higher than the representative population. The study found statistical correlation between elevated blood concentrations of PFOA with ulcerative colitis, impaired thyroid function, high blood cholesterol, testicular cancer, kidney cancer and preeclampsia.

How Do Polyfluoroalkyl & Perfluoroalkyl Substances Contaminate Drinking Water?

In 2016 the EPA released a lifetime health advisory for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. This advisory indicates that the individual or combined concentration of PFOA and PFOS in water should be less than 70 parts per trillion (ppt). This EPA guideline is not an enforced limit – it simply provides guidance to local public health officials. However, under EPA guidelines issued in 2012, water systems are required to monitor levels of PFOA and PFOS. The results of this monitoring effort can be found on the National Contaminant Occurrence Database. Together with data collected under the monitoring effort and established assessments of human health effects, the EPA will make a regulatory determination to include PFOA and PFOS in national drinking water regulations.

Communities that have sources of drinking water contaminated with PFASs are typically localized and associated with a specific industrial facility or area used for firefighting. Both PFOA and PFOS have been found in drinking water systems due to this kind of localized contamination. A 2016 study of drinking water in the U.S. found unsafe levels of PFASs at the EPA minimum level of 70 ppt in 194 out of 4,864 water sources in 33 states. More recently, a 2020 study has shown that PFAS contamination is more widespread than originally thought.  Water sources with the highest levels of PFAS contamination were near industrial sites and military bases, and one of the major contributing sources was found to be firefighting foam.

How Can I Remove Polyfluoroalkyl & Perfluoroalkyl Substances From My Drinking Water?

Some public water systems employ methods (like granulated or powdered activated carbon) to reduce PFOA and PFOS at the municipal level, but these systems do not remove shorter-chain PFAS, like GenX. Hydroviv water filters use a blend of highly-porous active media including carbon, specialized ceramics, and ion exchange media to provide broad protection against PFASs (short and long chain) from drinking water (3rd party test reports for Hydroviv products can be Viewed HERE and HERE) . Water filtration systems that use reverse osmosis systems can also be effective, but you'll want to contact the manufacturer and ask for 3rd party test results against PFAS (not just PFOA/PFOS, which are easy to filter).  

Hydroviv makes it our business to help you better understand your water. As always, feel free to take advantage of our “help no matter what” approach to technical support! Our water nerds will work to answer your questions, even if you have no intention of purchasing one of our water filters. Reach out by dropping us an email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. You can also find us on Twitter or Facebook!

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