What is PFAS?
PFAS stands for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. These are a class of manmade chemicals that have been widely used in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s. PFAS has been found in food and water, shampoo, and medicine. PFAS chemical use and production is not banned in the United States.
What's the concern with PFAS?
Scientific Studies have linked some PFAS compounds to health problems like cancer, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, and immune system disorders. Most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS, and when PFAS compounds get into our bodies, these chemicals tend to stay there for a long time.
However, there is some good news: The CDC reports that the most common PFAS are present at their lowest levels in our bodies in decades.
Are PFAS regulated?
There are a growing number of regulations surrounding PFAS. New U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations dictate some common PFAS compounds should account for no more than 4 parts per trillion in drinking water. Drinking water utilities in Missouri test drinking water sources for PFAS. The results of those testd can be checked in the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ PFAS Viewer.
Are there PFAS in wastewater?
MSD does not use PFAS in the wastewater treatment process, but since PFAS is in our bodies and common products, PFAS is also found in wastewater. MSD tests for PFAS and shares the results with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
The people of the St. Louis region generate approximately 170 dry tons of biosolids daily. MSD Project Clear, which separates biosolids from wastewater during the treatment process, incinerates biosolids. Multiple scientific studies have shown that incineration breaks down PFAS. So, while MSD Project Clear is not creating or using PFAS, the processes and technologies we employ in our wastewater treatment plants are helping to reduce the amount of PFAS in the environment. More scientific research is underway to better quantify the amount of PFAS destruction already occurring and to optimize PFAS destruction approaches.
What is MSD Project Clear doing about PFAS?
MSD Project Clear does not manufacture or use PFAS compounds. All PFAS in the public sewer system are coming from other sources. But our methods of handling biosolids do reduce PFAS in the environment. MSD Project Clear is also working closely with partner utilities and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) to ensure the burden of PFAS mitigation and removal falls on manufacturers of PFAS and not on customers of water and wastewater utilities.