PFC Levels in Water should be 1 part per trillion
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Academic
The safe levels of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in drinking water should be 1 part per trillion, according to a researcher who studies the impact of the contaminants on health.
At present, the EPA has determined water is safe with 70 parts per trillion levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).
“They may have to revisit that,” said Richard Clapp, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus of environmental health at Boston University.
Clapp said that research on the Faroe Islands of Denmark by his colleague, Philippe Grandjean, found that children born with higher levels of perfluorinated compounds had diminished immune systems by age 6.
Research is continuing on the children to determine the health effects by age 13, Clapp said, noting that Grandjean proposed the “very conservative” safe level of 1 part per trillion based on validated scientific research.
He declined to comment on the effectiveness of granulated activated carbon filters or other filtration systems, as that is outside of his research. Boiling water would be useless, he said.
He said that it is up to the public to push their elected officials to stay on top of the issue, and to push the federal government to fund studies on the impact.
Source: Courier Times
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