HYANNIS – A study released Friday by Harvard University researchers found that conventional testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found just a fraction of what was actually present in water tested at sampling sites in the Childs River and Quashnet River watersheds in Mashpee, and the Mill Creek watershed in Hyannis.
But the finding no one expected was an additional large amount of PFAS in these three watersheds that had previously gone undetected and was not from firefighting foams used nearby.
“The biggest point sources (for PFAS) were the firefighting foams, but that it only explained half the total amount was very surprising to us,” said Bridger Ruyle, a Ph.D. student in environmental science and engineering at Harvard University and the lead author of the paper, which was published in the journal “Environmental Science & Technology.”
E-Mail
Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) found large quantities of previously undetectable compounds from the family of chemicals known as PFAS in six watersheds on Cape Cod using a new method to quantify and identify PFAS compounds. Exposures to some PFAS, widely used for their ability to repel heat, water, and oil, are linked to a range of health risks including cancer, immune suppression, diabetes, and low infant birth weight.
The new testing method revealed large quantities of previously undetected PFAS from fire-retardant foams and other unknown sources. Total concentrations of PFAS present in these watersheds were above state maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for drinking water safety.