Read the full press release (PEER)
“Tallahassee: Reclaimed water and sludge from the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant that serves the cities of Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, Florida, have high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to testing done for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
PFAS are a family of chemicals with direct links to cancers, motor disorders in children, obesity, endocrine disruption, and liver and thyroid diseases. The CDC recognizes that exposure to PFAS may impact the immune system and reduce antibody responses to vaccines. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the human body and the environment.
PEER had a sample of sludge and reclaimed water tested by the Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environmental in Lancaster, PA. The sludge was found to have 52,300 parts per trillion (ppt) of 13 different PFAS. The reclaimed water was found to have 85.3 parts per trillion of 12 different types of PFAS. These results represent an overall small sampling of the total estimated numbers of PFAS/PFOA chemicals known to have been produced in the United States, a number that exceeds 5,000. It is unknown whether sampling for other chemicals would have yielded positive results in this case…”