Read the full article by Christine Condon (Baltimore Sun)
“Lab tests ordered by environmental groups found harmful chemicals, called PFAS, in a pesticide that Maryland uses for its mosquito control program, the groups said Thursday.
PFAS — per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances — are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down in nature, and they’re found in all kinds of products, from nonstick cookware to firefighting foams.
‘The results for us are extremely disturbing, given the health impacts linked to these forever chemicals,’ said Ruth Berlin, executive director of the Maryland Pesticide Education Network, which helped pay for the tests.
Last year, Maryland environmental regulators announced they intended to begin testing drinking water and Chesapeake Bay oysters for PFAS, since a growing number of studies linked the chemicals to liver, kidney and reproductive dysfunction, as well as high cholesterol levels and tumor growth.
The recent testing, ordered by Berlin’s organization and the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, found 3,500 parts per trillion of one type of PFAS and 630 parts per trillion of another in Permanone 30-30, a pesticide sprayed by Maryland’s Department of Agriculture.
The Environmental Protection Agency has set a lifetime health advisory for two types of PFAS in drinking water at 70 parts per trillion. Such advisories mean the agency has determined that consistent daily exposure at or below that level isn’t likely to cause adverse effects…”