New paper alert! "Concentrations of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in estuarine systems can vary greatly within tidal cycles".
We show single grab samples may under or over-estimate #PFAS concentration in estuaries due to tidal influence over time.
Read the paper at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725008319
https://www.europesays.com/1900607/ Forever chemicals and their lasting effects in your environment #AppliedPhysicsLab #Environment #EnvironmentalJustice #ForeverChemicals #JohnsHopkinsResearch #NTFE #PFAS #PFOA #PFOS #WMAR2NewsBaltimore
Kip en vis rond vliegbasis #Leeuwarden bleken vervuild met pfas
Media lijken maar niet te snappen dat #PFOS / #PFAS vervuiling een landelijk probleem is. Vaak is de bron helemaal niet bekend.
Just proving that #Trump's administration is TOXIC!
Trump #EPA withdrawal of #PFAS effluent limits is setback for #PublicHealth, #EWG warns
WASHINGTON – "On Tuesday, the Trump Environmental Protection Agency withdrew a pending Biden administration plan that would have protected public health from the chemical manufacturing sector by setting discharge limits on the toxic '#ForeverChemicals' known as PFAS.
"The Trump administration pulled the proposal from White House review – the last step before the agency could release the plan publicly and seek comment on it. The decision is a significant setback for efforts to address the growing public health crisis caused by industrial PFAS pollution of the water supply.
"Coupled with President Donald Trump’s executive order placing a freeze on any new federal regulations, the withdrawal prompts significant concerns from environmental and public health advocates about the future of PFAS regulation and whether tackling the PFAS contamination crisis will be an administration priority.
The following is a statement from Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the #EnvironmentalWorkingGroup:
"Yesterday’s action by the Trump administration to withdraw the long-awaited proposal on PFAS effluent limits is a devastating setback in the fight to protect our communities from toxic 'forever chemicals.'
"This move not only delays establishing critical federal standards but also sends a dangerous message giving polluters a green light to continue poisoning our water and communities without fear of consequence.
"It’s an unconscionable betrayal of the public’s health in favor of corporate interests, and it underscores this administration’s troubling shift in policy which threatens to roll back any progress to protect our #environment and hold #polluters accountable.
"PFAS contamination is already a public health crisis. The science is clear: PFAS are toxic at even the smallest levels, and they have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, immune suppression and developmental harm. Communities across the country, especially those near PFAS-manufacturing facilities, have lived with the devastating consequences of this pollution for decades.
"State regulators have waited for the federal government to lead on this issue so they can incorporate effective monitoring and treatment requirements into their discharge permits. Without federal limits, those efforts remain stalled.
"The Trump administration’s refusal to act now puts even more lives at risk, leaving American communities to fend for themselves as polluters continue their unchecked discharges of toxic PFAS into our water."
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/statement/2025/01/trump-epa-withdrawal-pfas-effluent-limits-setback-public-health-ewg
#WaterIsLife #PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage #ManMadeDisasters #AFFF #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution
#FirefightingFoam #PFOS
#3M #ForeverChemicals #Environment #BigChemical #CorporateInterests #Corporatocracy #TrumptyDumpty #WhenIdiotsRule #USPol
High levels of #ToxicChemicals found in #BrunswickMaine airport hangar #sewers
#CitizenPFAS monitoring revealed concerning levels of toxic chemicals in the sewer outfall of #Hangar6 in Brunswick, though a company hired to assess risk at the hangar said there is no leak of the toxic firefighting foams on the premises.
by Kristian Moravec, The Times Record
Posted February 4, 2025, Updated February 5
"A citizens group’s testing revealed that sewer water flowing from Hangar 6 at Brunswick’s airport has high levels of harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.
"#FriendsOfMerrymeetingBay conducted testing on Nov. 26. The tests detected high levels of a particularly toxic #PFAS chemical compound known as #PFOS. The update comes the same day the owner of the hangar, the #MidcoastRegionalRedevelopmentAuthority, sent a letter to the town stating that tanks that stored the chemicals were not leaking.
"PFOS is a compound known to be harmful to human health and is found in high levels in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Brunswick Executive Airport’s Hangar 4, which is owned by the Navy but operated by MRRA, dumped 1,450 gallons of AFFF concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water on Aug. 19, 2024.
"The spill prompted ongoing cleanup and monitoring efforts as well as a push to get rid of the foam at the airport. Concern has grown around Hangar 6, which some have speculated is leaking harmful chemicals based on the testing data around the airport that Friends of Merrymeeting Bay has collected over the years. The sewage that flows out of Hangar 6, which is not treated for PFAS, ultimately flows into the #AndroscogginRiver."
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/02/04/high-levels-of-toxic-chemicals-found-in-brunswick-airport-hangar-sewers/
Archived version:
https://archive.md/LlHx1
Nord- und Ostsee: Hohe PFAS-Belastung von Meeresschaum. Konzentration gesundheitsgefährdender Chemikalien überschreitet Grenzwerte drastisch. #PFAS #Nordsee #Ostsee #Schadstoff #PFOS #Umweltverschmutzung
https://www.scinexx.de/news/medizin/nord-und-ostsee-hohe-pfas-belastung-von-meeresschaum/
Neue Messung: Extrem hohe Konzentrationen von #Ewigkeitschemikalien im #Rhein
"Die Perfluoroctansulfonsäure (PFOS) gilt als krebserregend und schädigt die Fortpflanzung"
https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/rheinland/greenpeace-erhoehte-pfos-werte-100.html
“Science is what enables 3M to innovate vital solutions that transform lives, help preserve our planet, make people safer and more productive, and build a brighter tomorrow.”
#greenwashing #shame #pfos scandal
https://news.3m.com/3M-global-survey-reveals-science-is-the-key-to-a-resilient-and-prosperous-future
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/05/27/3m-forever-chemicals-pfas-pfos-toxic
“It’s not a disease and thus less attention has been paid to this life stage. Our data suggests that women with higher blood concentrations of #PFOA and #PFOS reached #menopause earlier … than those with low exposure. This is equivalent to the effect of cigarette smoke, a known reproductive toxicant, where we compared current smokers and nonsmokers.” #PFAS #WomensHealth #PublicHealth #EnvironmentalHealth #ForeverChemicals #Toxins https://www.momscleanairforce.org/environment-climate-and-menopause/
Um, all this concern about humans eating wild animals contaminated with #PFAS? How about concern that WILD ANIMALS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH PFAS!
'Do not eat' advisory issued for wildlife harvested in parts of #Kennebec, #Waldo counties
by Ariana St Pierre, WGME
Fri, October 25th 2024 at 6:47 AM
"The #Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife tested wildlife throughout the #Unity, #UnityTownship, #Thorndike, and #Albion area." [Lots of working farms in that area too!]
Los #PFAs presentes en el #agua embotellada y de grifo
Para evaluar los factores que influyen en concentraciones de PFAS en agua potable y estimar la exposición humana, se midieron 10 PFAS en agua corriente del Reino Unido y China y en agua embotellada de 15 países diferentes
En este #estudio el #ácido perfluorooctanoico y #perfluorooctanosulfonato #PFOS fueron los detectados con mayor frecuencia (>99%) en el agua embotellada mundial, y otros PFAS en gran medida 67%–93%
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00533
Midcoast [#Maine] Regional Redevelopment Authority executive director steps down after [toxic firefighting] foam spill
Story by WGME Staff
October 10, 2024
BRUNSWICK (WGME) -- "The executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority is stepping down.
"The #MRRA Board of Trustees says #KristineLogan has resigned.
"Last month, a group of Brunswick leaders and legislators called for Logan's resignation after hundreds of gallons of toxic #firefighting foam spilled in August, more than a year after a report warned that the system was 'deficient.'
"The #BrunswickMaine leaders say they want the group to have increased oversight and accountability."
#WaterIsLife #PFAS #AndroscogginRiver #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS #PicnicPond #Site8Stream #MereBrook #MerriconeagStream
#CascoBay #HarpswellCove
#Wildlife #OceansAreLife
#PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation #BrunswickStation #Maine
"Perhaps luckily, she hadn’t thrown out the #beef in her freezer. So she had it tested for 16 types of #PFAS with the help of #Maine officials and a Department of #Agriculture scientist. Those results, also reviewed by the Times, were clear: The meat was not safe for #children to eat because of high levels of #PFOS, a type of forever chemical that the #government says is likely to be #carcinogenic to humans."
#GiftArticle
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/climate/farm-pfas-meat-poison-sewage-sludge.html?unlocked_article_code=1.M04.2fYO.cMkZjMJCWV1k&smid=url-share
#PortlandMaine fire department announced they were going to switch to #F3 soon!
#Maine officials look for safer alternatives to #toxic #firefighting foam
by Mal Meyer, WGME
Mon, August 26th 2024
"That's why the [Portland] fire department is turning over to something new soon, called 'F3,' that won't have #PFAS.
"'Over the last 8-10 months, the Department of Defense has approved a couple of different products,' Cenate said.
"The lack of options and cost has been part of the problem.
"'There are certainly challenges for the industry and nationwide moving forward,' Bradbury said.
"The South Portland Fire Department was quoted roughly $138,000 to replace the 3,000 gallons of #AFFF it has, not including the price of disposal.
"'It’s nice that we'll be on the forefront with our transition in October,' Bradbury said.
"It's tough to say how much of AFFF is around Maine.
"A state taskforce in 2019 tried to figure that out but got limited responses and that hasn't been updated since because there's been no funding for it.
"The group estimated there could be up to 48,000 gallons in Maine fire departments alone.
"'There has been discussion about whether or not to do a collection and destruction program,' Maine DEP Commissioner Melanie Loyzim said. 'Some other states have been doing that over the last several years.'
"In Brunswick, the Navy had been planning to remove AFFF in mid-September, as leaders looked for something more environmentally friendly."
FFS! Municipalities need to change over to #F3 ASAP!
#Toxic firefighting foam spills into #wetlands after truck fire in #SouthPortlandMaine
by Ariana St Pierre, WGME
Fri, August 30th 2024
"Crews used 47 gallons of #AFFF #firefighting foam to put out the truck's diesel fuel that was burning. That foam contains PFAS or '#ForeverChemicals.'
"Despite their efforts to contain it, firefighters say 70 gallons of foam and diesel fuel spilled into the gravel wetland along Philbrook Avenue and #LongCreek.
[...]
"This comes about 10 days after over 1,400 gallons of firefighting foam containing PFAS spilled at the Brunswick Executive Airport and leaked into a nearby pond [which eventually drains into #HarpswellCove and #CascoBay]."
#PFASContamination
#PFOS #CascoBay #Wildlife #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #FirefightingFoam #LongCreekWatershed
TONIGHT! (Thursday, August 29th)
Fighting the foam in #BrunswickMaine: Public forum being held to discuss the spill
Story by Aysia Reed, WGME
"It's been 10 days since toxic firefighting foam spilled in Brunswick. The public will now get to have their say on the release and the cleanup efforts so far.
"The town of Brunswick is holding a public forum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Council Chamber at Brunswick Town Hall to discuss the spill of more than 1,000 gallons of firefighting foam.
"The Brunswick Executive Airport had the foam stored away in hangar 4 in case they needed it to fight a fire. Last week, a faulty signal to the system caused a malfunction to release the foam, causing it to spill.
"The foam contains PFAS, which is a forever chemical. It leaked into a nearby pond, and the drainage system around the hangar.
"Crews are collecting samples around an outflow pipe that goes from the Brunswick Sewer District into the #AndroscogginRiver.
"Last week, officials said they collected about 6,000 gallons of foam and foam mixed with water."
#MaineCDC Issues Advisories on Eating #FreshwaterFish Due to #PFASContamination at the Former #NavalAirStation in #BrunswickMaine
Aug 23, 2024
AUGUSTA -- "The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) today issued new freshwater fish consumption advisories recommending either no consumption or limited consumption of fish from four waterbodies located on and around the former naval air station in Brunswick, Maine.
"The testing of fish is part of the United States Navy's ongoing remedial investigation at the former base in response to #environmental contamination from the historic use of PFAS-containing aqueous film forming foam (#AFFF) in fire-fighting operations. Data were collected in October 2023 by the Navy, in coordination with Maine's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and shared with the Maine CDC in spring of 2024.
"The Maine CDC reviewed the data and determined they showed elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, above the agency's recommended levels for regular consumption.
"While testing occurred before the August 19, 2024 accidental release of AFFF at the former naval air station, that incident is not expected to impact the guidance issued today. The waters likely impacted by the AFFF spill are on the east side of the runway at the air station. Today's advisory recommends a no consumption advisory for those waters based on prior testing data.
"Elevated levels of the specific PFAS called perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were detected in fish tissue samples collected from #MereBrook (also known as Mare Brook), #MerriconeagStream, #PicnicPond, and #Site8Stream. The new fish consumption advisories listed below apply to all fish caught in these waterbodies.
"In response to the recent release of AFFF and the reported presence of visible #foam on some of these #waterbodies on the eastern side of the runway, the Maine CDC additionally recommends the public avoid any contact with foam on these water bodies. Out of an abundance of caution, the Maine CDC also recommends the public refrain from any recreational activities (e.g., #swimming, #boating, #wading) that could result in contact with the foam or waters until the potential impact of the AFFF release on these waterbodies is fully assessed.
"PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals found in a variety of consumer products throughout the world. Based on a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, exposure to certain PFAS chemicals has been associated with increases in cholesterol levels, decreases in birth weight, lower antibody response to some vaccines, and kidney cancer."
From the CDC website: Map of waterbodies included in the fish consumption advisory on and around the former Naval Air Station in Brunswick.
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/news/maine-cdc-issues-advisories-eating-freshwater-fish-due-pfas-contamination-former-naval-air-station-fri-08232024-1200
#AndroscogginRiver #CascoBay #HarpswellCove #Wildlife #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #PFOS #FirefightingFoam
This is #PicnicPond in #BrunswickMaine. It is closed to the public because of #PFAS contamination, but there is plenty of #Wildlife in the area, and the pond empties into #HarpswellCove / #CascoBay.
Image source and more info about Picnic Pond:
https://maineanencyclopedia.com/brunswick-landing/
Farmers in Central West NSW are sounding the alarm after discovering a river stretch covered in foam contaminated with the harmful "forever chemical" PFOS. #EnvironmentalCrisis #PFOS #WaterPollution #NSWFarmers #ForeverChemicals
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-14/farmers-pull-pfos-chemical-from-belubula-river-nsw-pfas/104193746
'This is our best option:' #Maine farmers turn to #SolarEnergy due to #contaminated fields
Story by Brad Rogers
7/25/2024
ARUNDEL (WGME) – "#PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, have been nothing short of disastrous for hundreds of #Mainefarmers.
"It's ruined their land, made their cattle, milk and eggs unsafe to eat and left many farmers with serious health problems.
"'This farm has been in our family since 1914,' #FredStone, whose #Arundel farm was contaminated with PFAS, said.
"Stone was a third-generation dairy farmer in Arundel until forever chemicals were discovered in his fields, #WellWater, cows and milk.
"The pollution came from spreading #wastewater #sludge on his farm after the state told him it was safe.
"#MaineDEP has identified more than 500 sites where sludge was applied to farmland as #fertilizer.
"In 2017, Stone was the first farmer in the state to have his dairy farm and his pasture shut down due to #PFAScontamination.
"To make up for it, the state offered to buy his farm, but he refused to walk away.
"'We’re not in the farm selling or land selling business,' Stone said. 'Given what options we had left, that brought us to the solar thing.'
"He's been working with #WaldenRenewables to build a solar array on 100 acres of his contaminated farm.
"'It's their best alternative, but for some of these landowners, it's hard to kind of accept the change that they're facing,' Dale Knapp of Walden Renewables said. 'This is an injection of revenue that they desperately need.'
"This week, the Maine Public Utilities Commission [#MainePUC] approved new rules, paving the way for solar development on PFAS-polluted farms.
"'The Act provides that the commission must give a primary preference to projects that are located on contaminated lands,' Carrie Gilbert of the Maine PUC Commission said.
"'This is our best option,' Stone said. 'So reluctantly, very reluctantly I guess, that’s what we ended up having to do.'
"Stone plans to sign a 30-year lease for the solar array.
"After that, his farm may still be contaminated with forever chemicals, but 30 years is a long time for someone to come up with a solution.
"'That might mean that generational farm just goes on pause,' Knapp said. 'And the next generation may have the opportunity to return it to being a family farm someday.'
"'I’m very bitter,' Stone said. 'This is not the way we wanted to see this go. Yeah, I would love to see it continue on as a farm of some kind but damn the state of Maine for putting me in this position.'"
