There is nothing more important than for a mother to know that when she turns on the tap the water she is using to prepare bottles to feed her baby is safe or that her breast milk is not contaminated with chemicals.
On Oct. 1, 2019, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services implemented tough drinking water standards for four toxins you probably have been hearing a lot about lately – perfluoroalkyl chemicals or PFAS. PFAS chemicals are in some firefighting foams (AFFF) and consumer products like raincoats, Teflon pans and fast-food wrappers. But if you live in an area where your drinking water is contaminated with PFAS, we know that this contributes most of your exposure that builds up over time with continued exposure to the toxins.
The problem is that we think there are more than 5,000 of these PFAS chemicals potentially on the market right now. There has been little to no safety testing on almost all of them – except four. And what we know about those four is very concerning.
In June 2018, a bill, SB 309, was signed into law that required NHDES to create enforceable drinking water standards “protective of prenatal and early childhood exposure.” This is the most important part of the policy since we know that New Hampshire has the highest rate of pediatric cancer in the nation.
We know a lot now about the health effects of exposure to PFAS like testicular cancer, kidney cancer, ulcerative colitis, altered immune system effects (reduced vaccine effectiveness), and pre-eclampsia from occupational studies and studies on populations near manufacturing facilities like the DuPont facility in Parkersburg, West Virginia. We also know PFAS accumulates in your body and takes a long time to be eliminated when exposure ends.
In early 2019, the state of Minnesota finalized a study that was based on early-childhood exposure to contaminated breast milk. The information indicated that babies who are breastfed have 4.4 times the serum concentration of PFAS in their bodies than bottle-fed babies after being exposed in utero. This spike of PFAS delivery happens during a critical neurodevelopmental window. These facts were critical in establishing the safe drinking water standards since the law specified they needed to be protective of prenatal and early childhood exposure.
We are starting to learn about the long-term impacts on health from early exposure to PFAS to a baby’s immune system, neurodevelopment and reproduction. Since these chemicals stay in the human body for many years or decades, early exposure may have lifelong health impacts. New Hampshire has the highest rates of children with cancer in the nation, and we must do everything we can to limit exposures to carcinogens in our drinking water and environment.
PFAS has been detected at high levels in bio-sludge, landfill leachate, wastewater and drinking water in New Hampshire. The state is working to ensure residents have a sufficient supply of safe drinking water where PFAS and other chemicals have polluted drinking water in towns like Windham, Hampstead, Atkinson and Plaistow by installing a regional water pipeline. This project is made possible with funding the state received from a settlement in a class-action lawsuit against ExxonMobil.
The New Hampshire attorney general is currently suing the manufacturers of PFAS in two separate suits. In response, the manufacturers of PFAS products, including 3M, bio-sludge handlers and a water district, have sued the state of New Hampshire to block our new PFAS protections on drinking water. The New Hampshire attorney general has appealed the case to the Supreme Court, and we are awaiting a decision.
Efforts are also underway in the New Hampshire House and Senate to appropriate money now (SB 496, sponsored by Sen. David Watters) for these cleanups with additional proposals to ensure that money from the settlements is earmarked for PFAS cleanup (HB 1603, sponsored by Rep. Renny Cushing).
The Seacoast Drinking Water Commission (formed by HB 431 in 2017) continues to assess threats to drinking water and future water infrastructure upgrades and interconnections to ensure safe drinking water now and in the future for the Seacoast area.
When we try to pass protective legislation, the voice of industry is heard loud and clear as in the case brought by 3M against the state. We need citizens to raise their voices to support our efforts. To find out more and how you can help, please visit the New Hampshire Safe Water Alliance website, safewaternh.org.
(Mindi Messmer, co-founder of the New Hampshire Safe Water Alliance, is a candidate for the Executive Council in District 3 and a former state representative. Richard Clapp is professor emeritus of the Boston University School of Public Health.)