[CPEO-MEF] PFAS: "Are PFAS Harming Rhode Island’s Schoolchildren?"

[Lenny Siegel]

Are PFAS Harming Rhode Island’s Schoolchildren?
More than 40 percent of the schools tested had chemical levels above the recommended standard of 20 parts per trillion

By ROGER WARBURTON
ecoRI News (RI)
March 2, 2020


PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island has a serious issue with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.

PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because once released into the environment they don’t break down, and they build up in human blood and organs. Exposure to PFAS increases the risk of cancer and harms fetus development, according to an increasing amount of research.

One of the more disturbing effects of PFAS is that they reduce the effectiveness of vaccines such as diphtheria. Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the blood of nearly all Americans is contaminated with PFAS.

Fortunately, the Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) has been testing wells and water systems throughout the state since 2017. At a Feb. 27 Senate committee hearing on PFAS, the state agency released its test data (see graphic above).

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For the entire article, see
https://www.ecori.org/public-safety/2020/3/2/are-pfas-harming-rhode-islands-schoolchildren

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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel at cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org