PFAS in Taunton Bay Tributaries
In 2023 we started working with the Shaw Institute of Blue Hill, to PFAS in Card Mill, Egypt, and Grist Mill Streams, and Springer Creek. We sampled on two dates in July, using Cyclopure Water Test Kits. The Cyclopure lab uses an EPA-validated method to analyze 55 PFAS compounds. PFAS chemicals were detected at low levels (parts/billion) in all four streams. Three of them, PFBA, PFOA, and PFOS, are often detected in tap water and are subject to drinking water regulation due to human health concerns. The fourth chemical, 2Hperfluoro-2-decenoic acid, is very rarely reported in drinking or surface water, and may indicate a current source for contamination.
In 2024, we sampled Card Mill, Egypt, and Grist Mill Streams, and Springer Creek three times (April, July, and August) each for PFAS as recommended by the Shaw Institute to check varied conditions. The April 17, 2024, sample from Card Mill Stream showed one PFAS compound, PFBA at 1.3 parts per trillion (ppt). PFBA is not subject to drinking water regulation by the EPA.
There were no PFAS detected in the remaining 11 tests conducted.
About PFAS
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are human-made chemicals that do not occur naturally in the environment. Known as the “forever chemicals”, they break down very slowly in the environment, persist in our bodies, and have been associated with health risks such as increased cholesterol levels, decreased vaccine response in children, changes in liver enzymes, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, small decreases in infant birth weights, and increased risk of kidney cancer.
They can be found in air, soil, and water (ground and surface water) after release from the manufacture, use, and disposal of products that contain these chemicals.
Note: We also explored testing for microplastics with the Shaw Center, but our conclusion was that microplastics are everywhere, and many others are testing for microplastics, notably in Frenchman Bay, the majority water source for Taunton Bay.
Learn More About PFAS:
The Forever Pollution Project – Journalists tracking PFAS across Europe