Aqua NJ Blackwood Plant That Tested Positive For PFOA Shut Down

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Amid growing concerns about the effects of PFAS on humans and their prevalence in drinking water, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is conducting a national investigation of the health impacts.

New Jersey, where the state Department of Environmental Protection says there is extensive contamination, is included in the investigation.

In 2014, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) detected perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the water at the Aqua NJ plant in Blackwood as part of a statewide study.

EPA detected PFOA in one sample at the water treatment that fell below the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) health advisory for PFAs, Aqua NJ said in a statement. The plant was shut down in 2017 due to other factors and remains out of service, according to NJ Aqua.

“At Aqua, our mission is to protect and provide Earth’s most essential resource,” the water company said in a statement. “When something interferes with that mission, we take it very seriously, and we want to assure our customers that we are taking appropriate measures to ensure the safety and quality of their drinking water every day.”

The 2014 study was part of a follow-up on a 2006 study and guidelines issued in 2007 by the DEP that set a health-based guidance level of 0.04 parts per billion (ppb) for PFOA. The guidance level was developed to provide protection from chronic or long-term exposure that might occur over an entire lifetime, the DEP said.

In that 2014 study, the water sample from Blackwood had 26.0 parts per trillion for PFOA, according to the NJDEP report.

"There is much that is unknown about the health effects of exposures to these chemicals," said Patrick Breysse, the director of the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health. "The multi-site study will advance the scientific evidence on the human health effects of PFAS and provide some answers to communities exposed to the contaminated drinking water."

Water utilities are working to filter out the chemicals, and have found the use of granular activated carbon helps to remove them, the Asbury Park Press reported. Keith Cartnick, senior director of water quality for Suez Water, told the paper that in filtration systems using granular activated carbon, the carbon grabs the PFOA as the water passes through the filter.

Some studies have shown the possible effects of PFOA, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, include:

• interference with natural hormones, causing delayed or accelerated puberty
• reduced effect of vaccines
• increase cholesterol levels
• affect the immune system
• increased risk of cancer

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-NJ, has proposed legislation to address PFAS contamination and exposure, ensuring that polluters pay for the cleanup of these sites. He cited another report saying there are517 water systems in New Jersey that have PFAS.

PFAS chemicals are used in the manufacturing of plastics, some of which are used in nonstick cookware, stain-resistant coatings for upholstery, water-resistant breathable outdoor clothing and firefighting foams, the DEP said. The use of PFOA was phased out in 2002.

They have been used to make brands such as Stainmaster, Scotchgard, Teflon, Gore-Tex and Tyvek. PFAS chemicals have been produced and used commercially and industrially for more than 60 years.

The multi-site health CDC study was authorized by the National Defense Authorization Acts of 2018 and 2019 to provide information to communities about the health effects of PFAS exposure. This is the first study to look at exposure to multiple PFAS at sites across the nation, the CDC said.