Read the full article by Press Release, St. Mary’s River Watershed Association (The Bay Net).
“ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – Last month, the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association tested the tidal waters of the St. Mary’s River for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of over 4,700 compounds known collectively as ‘PFAS.’ The laboratory analysis reported that at least one PFAS compound was detected at six of the ten sites studied. In the water samples collected at these six sites, the laboratory reported PFAS levels that ranged from 5.1 to 9.1 parts per trillion (ppt).
‘These numbers are not alarming,’ said Bob Lewis, executive director of the Association. ‘PFAS are found in so many things we use or wear every day. We all have detectable levels in our blood. Even the rain can carry minute amounts of these compounds.’
In early March, the Navy hosted a public meeting to inform the public of its work to terminate the use of PFAS compounds that cause adverse health impacts, to locate sites on Base where PFAS are present, and to clean up these polluted sites. Over 200 countians attended the meeting.
The Association contracted a laboratory certified by the EPA for PFAS testing. The equipment they use is state-of-the-art. PFAS are measured in tiny amounts—parts per trillion (ppt)—making sampling and analysis very technical and difficult. The Association has great confidence in their testing program and the final data…”