East Metro PFC
Community Updates
Community Meeting
May 15, 2013
Environmental Public Health Tracking and Biomonitoring
Minnesota Department of Health
Meeting agenda
•
Biomonitoring Follow-up Project
Survey Analysis Results – Jean Johnson
•
Groundwater Monitoring
Update – Ginny Yingling
•
PFCs in Homes and Gardens (PIHGs) Study
Update – Jim Kelly
Biomonitoring
Biomonitoring directly measures the amount of
an environmental chemical (or chemical
breakdown product) in people’s bodies.
What are perfluorochemicals?
Manufactured since the 1950s, perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are a
family of chemicals used for decades to make products that resist
heat, oil, stains, grease and water.
East Metro PFC Biomonitoring Pilot
Project
The biomonitoring project measured these 7 PFCs in the
blood of people living in the community:
PFOA
Perfluorooctanoic acid*
C8
PFOS
Perfluorooctane sulfonate*
C8
PFBA
Perfluorobutyric acid*
C4
PFHxS Perfluorohexane sulfonate
C6
PFHxA Perfluorohexanoic acid
C6
PFPeA Perfluoropentanoic acid
C5
PFBS
C4
Perfluorobutane sulfonate
*Legislation required 3 specific PFCs be measured.
“Non-stick Sticks to Us”
Some PFCs have long “half-lives” in the body of 3-9
years.
PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS are found in the blood in
greater than 98% of US population older than 12
years of age.
Others have very short “half-lives” of a few days
PFBA, PFBS
Biomonitoring project 2008
• 2007 Minnesota State law created Environmental
Health Tracking and Biomonitoring Program
• MDH directed to conduct pilot project in 2
communities “likely to be exposed” to PFCs
• 2008 East Metro PFC Biomonitoring Pilot Project
– Oakdale (served by municipal water)
– Cottage Grove/Lake Elmo (contaminated private wells)
– All age 20+, lived at residence since before 1/1/05
What we found: 2008 project results
• 3 PFCs (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS) detected in 100% of
the 196 participants
• Exposures higher with
– age and years of residence;
– in males
• Average levels higher than U.S. population levels
• Other 4 PFCs less commonly detected
• Science Advisory Panel recommended a follow-up
project
2010 Follow-up project
1. Measure 2-year change in PFC blood levels in
East Metro residents
– Have efforts to reduce
drinking water exposure
to PFCs worked?
2. Investigate sources of exposure to PFCs
– Do diet, use of consumer products, occupation,
etc. help explain PFC blood levels?
2010 Project participants
Participants from
2008
n = 196
Agreed to future
contact
n = 186
2010 project
participants
n = 164
– Average age = 56 yrs
– 84 from Oakdale, 80 from
Cottage Grove/Lake Elmo
– 45% male, 55% female
– Average residence in 2008
home = 19 yrs
PFCs in blood: From 2008 to 2010
PFBA
• PFBA detected in 21% of participants, at low
levels
– Found widely in East Metro groundwater
– Stays in the body for only a few days
– People who had PFBA detected in 2008 more
likely to have it detected again in 2010
– Do not know how people exposed
Update: Survey questions
• Residential history
– All addresses in Oakdale, Cottage
Grove, Lake Elmo
– Length of residence
– Type of water (well/city)
– How long drank unfiltered water
• Water consumption
– Average cups per day
• Other history (last 2 yrs)
– Blood donation
– Surgeries, blood transfusion
– Pregnant, breastfeeding
• Diet
– Home garden, type of produce
– Red meat, eggs, potatoes
– Fast food, pizza, microwave popcorn,
snacks, soft drinks, take-out coffee
– East Metro fish, East Metro game
• Product use
– Stain resistance treatment on carpet &
furniture
– Carpet cleaning in last year
– New carpet/furniture in last year
– Non-stick cookware use
– Waterproof spray use
• Employment
Results: drinking water
Total years drinking unfiltered water
Average PFC blood level
(nanograms PFC per mL blood serum)
0-10 yrs
11-20 yrs
21+ yrs
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
PFOS
PFOA
PFHxS
* Results account for differences in age, gender, blood donation
Results: products
New carpet in last year
Average PFC blood level
(nanograms PFC per mL blood serum)
Yes
No
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
PFOS
PFOA
PFHxS
* Results account for differences in age, gender, years drinking unfiltered water, blood donation
Results: diet
Have a home garden
Average PFC blood level
(nanograms PFC per mL blood serum)
Yes
No
25
20
15
10
5
0
PFOS
PFOA
PFHxS
How often eat red meat
≥ 1 / week
< 1 / week
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
PFOS
PFOA
PFHxS
* Results account for differences in age, gender, years drinking unfiltered water, blood donation
Results: blood donation
Frequency donating blood
Average PFC blood level
(nanograms PFC per mL blood serum)
Never to 2 times/yr
3+ times/year
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
PFOS
PFOA
PFHxS
* Results account for differences in age, gender, years drinking unfiltered water
What this means
• Confirms that drinking water was a major
source of PFC exposure and efforts to reduce
exposure (since 2006) worked to lower blood
levels in this group
• Different reasons could explain lack of findings
for diet and product use; sources that are
common in US population.
PFCs and health: an update
• Lots of active research on possible human
health effects of PFCs
• Studies do not all come to the same
conclusions, but results so far have not shown
consistent evidence that PFCs cause disease
• If concerned, talk with your health care
provider. Everyone should get regular checkups and health screenings that your provider
recommends
Update from Ohio River Valley studies
• Average PFOA exposures ~10 times higher
than East Metro
• Full scientific findings not published yet, don’t
know how results will inform understanding
• Panel of 3 scientists found a “probable link”
between PFOA exposure and a small number
of health outcomes, not for others
MDH’s next steps
• MDH programs will continue to test East
Metro water for PFCs
• If funding allows, MDH will continue PFC
biomonitoring in the East Metro
• MDH will share results with health care
providers in area
Staying informed
• MDH East Metro PFC Biomonitoring web site:
www.health.state.mn.us/biomonitoring
• Sign up for email updates:
1. www.health.state.mn.us/biomonitoring
2. www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/hazardous/topics/pfcs/
Thank you
• Project participants: your willingness to
participate helped the community as a whole
• Elected officials
• Local public health officials
• Environmental Public Health Tracking and
Biomonitoring Advisory Panel
Questions?
Jean Johnson
Jim Kelly
Ginny Yingling
PFCS - GROUNDWATER
MONITORING UPDATE
East Metro PFC Biomonitoring Follow-up Project
Community Meeting
May 15, 2013
Ginny Yingling, Minnesota Dept. of Health
Groundwater Sampling
• Community water supply wells
• Monthly: Oakdale #5 and #9 and treatment plant
• Quarterly: Cottage Grove
• Semi-annually: Oakdale #7 and #8
• Annually: Oakdale #1, #2, #3 and #10, Woodbury, Lake Elmo,
Newport, St. Paul Park, South St. Paul, Hastings, Cimarron Park,
Eagle’s Watch
• Residential wells
• ~ 450 wells sampled every year
• Sampling frequency based on concentrations, location, and water
quality trends
• Non-community public wells (business, church, school,…)
• ~ 30 wells sampled every year
• Lower detection limits = more trace level detections
PFBA
• Most widespread of the
PFCs in the East Metro
• Concentrations in most
wells are below the HRL
of 7 ppb
• Concentrations in most
areas are stable or
decreasing
• Exception:
• Wells nearest Washington
County Landfill
PFOA
• Not detected in most wells
sampled
• Lake Elmo has a few
private wells where PFOA
>HRL of 0.3 ppb
• Cottage Grove – where
detected, PFOA usually
<25% of the HRL
• Concentrations in most
areas stable or decreasing
• Exceptions?:
• Near 3M-Woodbury
• River Acres area
PFOS
• Not detected in most wells
sampled
• Lake Elmo has a few
private wells where PFOS
> HRL of 0.3 ppb
• Cottage Grove – rarely
detected; usually < 25% of
the HRL
• Concentrations in most
areas stable or decreasing
• Exceptions?:
• Near 3M-Woodbury
• River Acres area
City Water – Oakdale
• Wells 5, 7, 8, and 9
exceed levels of health
concern
• 5 & 9 treated
• 7 & 8 emergency use only
• PFBA decreasing or
stable in all wells except
• 7 – slight increase
• PFOS & PFOA
decreasing or stable in
all wells where detected
• Other PFCs in 6 wells
• Generally stable or
decreasing
• All <0.1 ug/L
• Most samples < 0.05 ug/L
HRL = 7 ug/L
City Water – Woodbury
• All wells below levels of
health concern
• PFBA primary PFC
detected
• Decreasing or stable in
all wells except…
• #7 and #16 (slight
increases; ~0.2 ug/L)
• Trace PFOS in 4 wells
• All <0.03 ug/L, stable
• HRL = 0.3 ug/L
• Trace PFOA in 6 wells
• All < 0.04 ug/L, stable
• HRL = 0.3 ug/L
• Other PFCs in 4 wells
• All < 0.06 ug/L, stable
HRL = 7 ug/L
City Water – Cottage Grove
• All wells below levels
of health concern
• PFBA primary PFC
detected
• Decreasing in all wells
except…
• #4 (stable)
• #11 (slight increase)
• PFOS not detected
• PFOA < 0.03 ug/L
• HRL = 0.3 ug/L
• Other PFCs
• Generally stable
• All <0.2 ug/L
• Most samples < 0.05 ug/L
HRL = 7 ug/L
Site Cleanups
• Washington County Landfill
• MPCA excavated ~2.5 million cubic yards of waste
• Contained on-site in triple-lined cells with leachate collection
systems
• 3M-Oakdale
• 27,900+ cubic yards of waste and contaminated soil excavated
• Disposed off-site in a permitted facility
• Groundwater pump-out system upgraded
• Water is treated by GAC before discharge to sewer
• 3M-Woodbury
• 29,000+ cubic yards of waste and contaminated soil excavated
• Disposed off-site in a permitted facility
Site Cleanups (continued)
• 3M Cottage Grove Facility
• 23,500+ cubic yards of contaminated soil excavated
• 16,500+ cubic yards of contaminated sediment dredged
• Disposed off-site in permitted facilities.
• Upgrading groundwater pump-out system (pilot testing)
• Expanded GAC treatment plant for water discharged to river
East Metro Community Update
Perfluorochemicals in Homes and
Gardens (PIHGs) Study Update
Jim Kelly
Environmental Health Division
PIHGs Study Objectives
 To determine if the use of PFCcontaminated drinking water in the
East Metro is contributing to ongoing
human exposure to PFCs through
direct contact with contaminated soil,
house dust, or consumption of homegrown produce.
 Build the capacity of the MDH Public
Health Laboratory
Sampling Scheme
 20 test sites in Lake Elmo, Oakdale, and
Cottage Grove
 3 control sites located elsewhere in Metro
 MDH collected at each site (2010):
•
•
•
•
1 water sample
1 - 3 soil samples (garden, yard)
Up to 21 produce samples
2 house dust samples
 Results (except dust) have been provided to
participants
 Final report in late 2013
PIHGs Study Findings to Date
 Water samples consistent with
previous data
 Soil samples showed low levels of
some PFCs in all samples
• Median concentrations 2-3 times higher at
test sites than controls
• Highest detected level was 175 times
lower than MPCA soil screening value
PIHGs Study Findings to Date
 In produce, PFBA was most commonly
detected (98% of test samples, 74% of
control samples)
 Overall levels were very low
 Median levels of PFBA at control sites
were 10 times lower
 PFBA levels differed by produce type
 Water concentration was the strongest
predictor of PFBA in produce
PIHGs Study Findings to Date
 Levels of PFCs in the water, soil, and
produce that MDH tested are low
 MDH will continue to examine the
results in context with other known
exposures to PFCs
 Gardening and eating home-grown
produce are healthy activities and are
encouraged!
For Further Information or
Questions:
Jim Kelly
[email protected] / 651-201-4910
Deanna Scher
[email protected] / 651-201-4922
MDH Environmental Health Division