New research shows alarming levels of Pfas in the blood of people living or working near a US air force base responsible for polluting drinking water with high levels of the dangerous “forever chemicals”, a new state regulatory report has found.
The levels are high enough in those who lived and worked near the Cannon air force base in Curry county to raise health concerns – about 10 times above the levels of those in the region who did not work in the contaminated zone. The pollution stems from a type of Pfas-laden firefighting foam the military has used across the nation, and the types of compounds found at high levels in participants’ blood were also commonly used in foam.
“The results put heartbreak into hard facts,” said James Kenney, the New Mexico environment department secretary. “This evidence of the harm the US air force has done to its neighbors is a call to action to immediately address its longstanding, neglected, toxic Pfas plume that continues to expose the families of Curry county.”
Pfas are a class of about 15,000 compounds most frequently used to make products water-, stain- and grease-resistant. The chemicals have been linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems. They are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down in the environment.
Pfas are a common ingredient in firefighting foam, and the military is in the process of phasing it out because the highly toxic substance has widely contaminated water and the environment around more than 700 bases nationwide. However, blood levels of nearby residents are not regularly monitored.
The state of New Mexico is suing the air force to compel it to more quickly and thoroughly address its pollution in the region. It has poisoned at least 100 private wells, and a public well for Clovis, a nearby city of nearly 40,000 people.
Levels found in surface water were about 27,000 times higher than US Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water limits, and polluted water is used on cropland, raising questions about the safety of those products. Local dairy farmers in 2018 were forced to euthanize about 3,500 cows that had contaminated milk.
“What happened here in Curry county, New Mexico, can happen in any town in USA, so we should all pay attention because it’s your water and your family next,” Kenney said.
About 99% of 628 blood samples tested had Pfas, but the four compounds most frequently detected were those commonly used in firefighting foam.
Though the US government estimates about 99% of people have Pfas in their blood, those living and working in the plume area showed much higher levels in general. About 26% were in the highest tier for Pfas blood levels nationally.
People who lived or worked in the plume area showed levels of PFHxS, a common Pfas compound used in foam, at levels more than three times the estimated US average.
The air force said it has not reviewed the data, but stressed that it is taking multiple steps to address the pollution, including installing a water treatment system.
The levels in blood are similar to several other areas contaminated by firefighting foam, said David Andrews, chief science officer with the Environmental Working Group non-profit, which tracks foam and military pollution. The levels in blood are cause for concern, he added.
“Definitely with higher concentrations there’s higher concern for the health impacts,” Andrews said. Those with higher levels should talk with their doctor and consult the US National Academies guidance on health risks for elevated Pfas blood levels, Andrews added.