Charles Megginson February 9, 2022 Headlines, Health
USGS has found PFAS in untreated well water across Delaware/Pixabay
The U.S. Geological Survey announced Wednesday that forever chemicals known as PFAS have been found in untreated well water throughout Delaware.
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of more than 4,000 manmade chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, fluoropolymer coatings can be in a variety of products including clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, and the insulation of electrical wire.
Many PFAS are of concern because they do not break down in the environment, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and build up in fish and wildlife.
The wells sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey all receive groundwater from the Columbia aquifer, which supplies water for more than 90% of the state.
According to the agency, researchers found a variety of types of PFAS in water from 16 of the 30 wells sampled in Delaware. One sample contained eight different types. Those that contained PFAS generally had low concentrations.
The findings are representative of groundwater and not necessarily drinking water, as groundwater can be filtered or treated prior to becoming drinking water, the agency noted.
“Even though use of some PFAS have been banned, we found that the chemicals are still present in the environment,” said Betzaida Reyes, a USGS scientist and the author of the new study. “The Columbia aquifer is an important drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of people, and our research will help decision-makers and communities understand how PFAS are impacting the quality of some area groundwater.”
USGS map showing the number of PFAS detected in samples of untreated well water in Delaware that are supplied by the Columbia aquifer. The aquifer supplies groundwater to areas within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, which includes most of Delaware and portions of other states. The area of Delaware that receives groundwater from the aquifer is the Delaware Atlantic Coastal Plain, which is below the map’s purple line known as a “fall line.”
The EPA’s PFAS website highlights that scientific research indicates high concentrations of some PFAS may lead to adverse health outcomes in people, and that research is still ongoing to better understand the potential health effects of PFAS exposure over long periods of time, especially in children.
According to USGS, the wells sampled in Delaware with the highest number of types of PFAS detected were in New Castle and Sussex counties, with five to eight compounds found in each well.
Two wells — one in each county — had concentrations of two types of PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid, known as PFOA, and perfluorooctane sulfonate, known as PFOS, above the Environmental Protection Agency’s advisory level for lifetime consumption.
“This USGS study is the first of its kind for Delaware, providing a comprehensive, baseline understanding of which PFAS are present and at what concentrations in well water throughout most of the state,” Reyes said. “We could not have done this work without the support of our partners and the property owners and water managers who gave us access to their property so we could sample wells.”
There are a variety of ways people can be exposed to PFAS.
“PFAS were used starting in the 1940s and although some have since been prohibited, they are a continued concern because they are long-lasting and have been widely used across the country,” the USGS said. “Sometimes called ‘forever chemicals,’ PFAS are not readily biodegradable and break down very slowly, and because of that can build up in people, animals and the environment over time.”
This is the third time since 2000 the USGS has sampled these specific wells – or a well in close proximity if the original well was no longer available – but it’s the first time they were tested for the presence of PFAS.
With PFAS being an emerging concern and focus for the state, 18 types of PFAS identified by the EPA as some of those commonly detected in drinking water were added to the list of select chemicals included in the most recent USGS study.
Sampling was done between August and November 2018.
The USGS conducted this study in cooperation with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Delaware Geological Survey.
According to USGS, both the DNREC and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services continue their ongoing work to address PFAS in the state’s drinking water.
More information from the state, including how private well owners can get their water tested, is available here .
Although this study focuses on Delaware, the Columbia aquifer also supplies water to portions of Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Virginia.
Charlie Megginson covers government and politics for Town Square LIVE News. Reach him at (302) 344-8293 or [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @cmegginson4.
A state project aimed at finding as many different bird species as possible in two Delaware parks is asking for help from citizen scientists. The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve wants people visiting Blackbird Creek and the St. Jones reserves to take photos of birds and upload them so they can be counted. The year-long project will help create a snapshot of which birds visit the lands within the estuaries and will help guide conservation plans, land stewardship and restoration efforts. The Bald Eagle, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Clapper Rail and tree swallows are among the birds that have been spotted by volunteers so far this year. The state research reserve, which includes Blackbird Creek and St. Jones, is one of 30 in the country. The Big Year initiative took its cut from birdwatchers, who often will challenge themselves to see or hear as many birds or bird species as possible within a single year. Those who participate don’t have to be avid birdwatchers, but must register to participate in the citizen science project. Once registered, they can log observations into one of two apps, iNaturalist or eBird. Those interested can join any time. There are, of course, rules: Birds must have been within the reserves and seen during 2022. Birds must have been alive, wild and unrestrained when observed. Diagnostic characteristics, sufficient for the recorder to identify it by species, must have been seen and/or heard and/or documented for the bird observation. The bird must have been observed under conditions that conform to the American Birding Association Code of Birding Ethics. In short, don’t lie or cheat by bringing the bird with you. Volunteers must remain in publicly accessible areas within the reserves and may not enter private properties. Citizen scientists should be aware that hunting seasons begin in September. In short, a birdwatcher dispatched to the great aviary in the sky by a load of buckshot will no longer be able to participate. “Citizen science projects like our Big Year and Chronolog are ways that visitors to the reserve can help with ongoing research,” said Laurel Sullivan, education coordinator for research reserve. Chronolog stations set up at Blackbird Creek and St. Jones allow visitors to take a photo with their smartphone and upload it into a database. The photos will be used to create a timelapse project to help observe and document environmental changes. A few other details: Learn more about the trail systems at Blackbird Creek and at St. Jones. The St. Jones Reserve and Blackbird Creek Reserve have free parking. Participants may need a conservation access pass to park on state wildlife areas (e.g., the Ted Harvey Conservation Area).
The state Public Health department is warning people in a certain section of Newark about a rabid skunk. Photo by Bryan Padron/Unsplash Two people whose dog found and killed a rabid skunk in their backyard are being treated for possible exposure to rabies. The Delaware Division of Public Health is advising people who live or spend time in the area west of Route 273, near S. Brownleaf Road, Sonant Drive and Stature Drive in Newark, that the skunk tested positive on Wednesday, June 30. Anyone who thinks they might have been bitten, scratched or come in contact with a skunk in this area should immediately contact their health care provider or call the Public Health Rabies Program at 302-744-4995 at any time. Anyone in the area who thinks a skunk may have bitten their pet should call their private veterinarian for examination, treatment, and to report the exposure to the Delaware Department of Agriculture at 302-698-4500. The dog was taken to a vet Thursday to receive the post exposure rabies vaccine and is now on a 45 day quarantine, Public Health said. The dog was up to date on its rabies vaccine. Rabies in an infectious disease that must be treated within a specific time frame to cure. Since Jan. 1, 2021, Public Health has performed rabies tests on 75 animals, two of which were confirmed to be rabid, including one cat and this skunk. DPH only announces those rabies cases for which it is possible the animal had unknown contacts with additional humans or pets. In 2020, DPH performed rabies tests on 121 animals, four of which were confirmed to be rabid, including one raccoon, one bat and two cats. Rabies affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals. Infection can occur through the bite or scratch of an infected animal or if saliva from such an animal gets into the eyes, nose, mout, or an opening in the skin. Rabies in humans and animals cannot be cured once symptoms appear. Therefore, if a human has been exposed, and the animal is unavailable to be quarantined or tested, health officials recommend people receive post-exposure prophylaxis treatment, a series of four vaccinations, as a precautionary measure. To avoid rabies exposure: All dogs, cats, and ferrets 6 months of age and older are required by Delaware law to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. Pet owners can reduce the possibility of pets being exposed to rabies by keeping them indoors and not letting them roam free. It is especially important for pet owners who do allow their cats to roam outdoors to vaccinate their pets. Do not touch or otherwise handle wild or unfamiliar animals, including cats and dogs, even if they appear friendly. Do not keep your pet’s food or water outdoors; bowls can attract wild and stray animals. Do not feed feral animals, including cats, as the risk of rabies in wildlife is significant. Spaying or neutering your pet may reduce the tendency to roam or fight and, thus, reduce the chance they will be exposed to rabies. Keep your garbage securely covered. If you encounter an animal behaving aggressively: Contact the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912 or 302-735-3600. Staff will determine whether it is more appropriate to refer callers to a private nuisance wildlife control operator. Here is a list of nuisance wildlife control operator. Do not throw items at the animal or make loud banging noises, which may startle the animal and cause it to attack. Instead, if the animal is behaving in an aggressive manner or appears to be foaming at the mouth, raise your hands above your head to make yourself appear larger to the animal while slowly backing away. If the animal toward you, raise your voice and yell sternly at it, “Get away!” If all that fails, use any means to protect yourself including throwing an object or trying to keep it away by using a long stick, shovel or fishing pole. If you encounter a stray or feral domestic animal, such as a cat or dog, behaving aggressively, contact the Office of Animal Welfare at 302-255-4646. If you encounter a sick or injured animal: Delaware residents are asked to contact the DNREC’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912 or 302-735-3600. If you encounter a sick stray domestic animal, such as a cat or dog, contact the Office of Animal Welfare at 302-255-4646.
Delaware’s State Parks are offering 17 self-guided tours for New Year’s Day. The state once again will host self-guided hikes through state parks on Jan. 1 to celebrate the new year. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control 17 hikes are spread through the state’s parks as part of a national movement sponsored by America’s State Parks to encourage fitness in the nation’s great outdoors. Admission to all state parks is free until March 1, and there’s no fee for the hikes. No one needs to register, but participants are encouraged to stop at each hike’s check-in table to be counted as part of the nationwide initiative. Park staff will be available to answer questions. After the hike, participants are invited to fill out the feedback form at www.destateparks.com/firstday and record how many miles they covered. Hikers may want to bring along comfortable hiking/walking shoes, a camera, a bottle of water, appropriate layers for the weather, a hat, sunglasses, a backpack and snacks. Dogs are allowed on many trails, but not all, and must be on a maximum 6-foot leash. Some hikes may require water-resistant shoes. Not all hiking trails are suitable for strollers. Here’s what DNREC is planning: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. – Auburn Valley State Park Yorklyn Bridge Trail and Auburn Valley Loop Trail. 2.8-mile loop. Moderate. Check in at the Park pavilion on Yorklyn Road. 10 a.m.-noon – Alapocas Run State Park Northern Delaware Greenway Trail, Wilmington. 2 miles one way. Easy/moderate difficulty. Accessible. Check in at the Blue Ball Barn, Courtyard Entrance. 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. – Brandywine Zoo pathway, Wilmington. .1 mile. Easy. Check in at the ticket window. Service animals allowed. 10 a.m.-noon – Fort DuPont State Park Riverview Trail, Delaware City. 1 mile. Easy. Check in at the Riverview Trail Trailhead. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. – Trap Pond State Park American Holly Loop to Bob Trail, Laurel. 1.1-mile loop. Easy/Moderate. Accessible. Check in at the Nature Center. 10 a.m.-noon – White Clay Creek State Park Tri-Valley Trail, Newark. 2.5 miles, out and back. Easy. Check in at the Smith Mill parking Lot. 11 a.m.-noon – The Point at Cape Henlopen, Lewes. 2 miles. Moderate. Ages 5 and older. Check in at The Point parking area. No pets allowed. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – First State Heritage Park, Dover. 1 mile. Easy. Check in at the John Bell House. Noon-1 p.m. – Indian River Inlet Bridge, Delaware Seashore State Park, Rehoboth Beach. .75 miles. Check in at the North Inlet Day Area. Noon-4 p.m. – Lums Pond State Park Swamp Forest Trail/Little Jersey Trail, Bear. 2 miles. Easy. Little Jersey Trail is accessible. Check in at the Nature Center. 12:30-1:30 p.m. – Cape Henlopen State Park Fort Miles Artillery Park, Lewes .25 to 2 miles. Easy/moderate. Check in at the Orientation Building. 1-2 p.m. – Killens Pond State Park Bike Trail, Felton. 2 miles, with length option. Moderate. Accessible. Check in at Pavilion 1. 1-3 p.m. – Bellevue State Park Bellevue Trail, Wilmington. 1.12 miles. Easy. Check in at the top of main parking lot. 1-3 p.m. – Brandywine Creek State Park Meadows Trail, Wilmington. 2 miles. Easy/moderate. Check in outside the Nature Center. 1-3 p.m. – Lums Pond State Park Swamp Forest Trail, Bear. 6.4 miles. Easy. Check in at the Area 1 Pavilion. 1-3 p.m. – White Clay Creek State Park PennDel and Pomeroy trails, Newark. 2.29-mile loop. Easy. Pomeroy Trail is accessible. Check in at the Nature Center parking lot. 2-3 p.m. – Holts Landing State Park Sea Hawk Trail, Dagsboro. 1.3 miles. Easy. Accessible. Check in at the Holts picnic pavilion. For more information about the hikes, go to https://destateparks.com/firstday or call 302-739-9220.
The appointment-only operation at Dover International Speedway will open at 11 a.m. Sunday and run at least through Feb. 25.
Former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, in blue shirt and now White House coordinator of Operation Allies Welcome, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Camerer greet Afghan guests in Liberty Village at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey in September. Photo by U.S. Army Spc. James Liker Former Gov. Jack Markell may be pulling 65- and 70-hour workweeks, but he’s doing it from one heckuva swanky address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. As the White House Operation Allies Welcome coordinator for President Joe Biden, Markell spends much of his time talking on the phone, convening and connecting the nation’s nine big resettlement organizations, government agencies and state officials to bring 95,000 Afghan refugees into the U.S. during the next year. “We’re really in a sprint,” Markell said. “And I think by the end of the year we’ll have done a lot of that important work.” Biden’s call in early September was not one Markell expected as he was waiting on Senate confirmation as ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Markell, who was governor of Delaware from 2009 to 2017, is expected to leave the Operation Welcome job by the end of the year. He’s working with a small team out of the National Security Council. “It’s really interesting and I feel incredibly honored to have this opportunity,” Markell said. “I just think it’s so important that we provide a safe and dignified welcome to our allies from Afghanistan. And being able to do that work from the White House is really such an honor. My job is to make sure that the country does provide a safe and dignified welcome.” The Department of Homeland Security is the lead agency in the resettlement effort, Markell said, but the Department of Defense and the Department of State’s Health and Human Services are also involved. He talks to people in Homeland Security multiple times a day, he said. In addition, those groups are working with the nine resettlement groups such as HIAS, the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society, that is steering 30 refugees to Delaware through Jewish Family Services in Wilmington. Those families are expected to live in New Castle County, near services they will need. Veterans service organizations, faith-based organizations and private sector employers also are involved with the effort, Markell said. “The President wanted to make sure that this is not just a whole of government approach, but it’s a whole of America approach, and that’s really my charge,” Markell said. Those nine resettlement organizations are working with 200 local groups like Jewish Family Services. “This is a ground up process because those 200 affiliates literally work with the local communities to determine what the capacity of the community is in terms of housing, health care, schooling and so forth,” Markell said. “So the idea is, where can we find housing that would be acceptable, that would be safe and appropriate for that particular family as well as school resources and the like.” There are already 67,000 Afghanis on U.S. military bases being screened for health and background checks, among other things. Several thousand already have been settled. Another 40,000 are expected to arrive. Markell said he has not seen a lot of blowback from people questioning why the country is allowing 100,000 foreigners into the U.S. after the country abandoned the war in Afghanistan. “I honestly have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of compassion for the group of Afghans,” he said. “I think that’s in large part because our Veterans community understands so clearly how many, many of these people fought by our side in Afghanistan and believe that we owe them not only our gratitude but we owe them our hard work to get them appropriately and safely resettled.” Markell said he had talked to people across the political spectrum and many have questions about the vetting process. “But when I explain how the vetting process takes place and the public health measures that are taking place in the military bases, people really get it,” Markell said. “We are fortunate to live in a country where immigrants and refugees throughout our history have brought new ideas, new energy, new perspectives and have enriched our lives, and I really think that is at the heart of why there’s been so much goodwill toward these allies from Afghanistan.” Those who arrive with a Special Immigration Visa will be fast-tracked to become U.S. citizens. Others will be able to work through the regular process, he said. Markell said he’s also been able to visit places like Fort Dix in New Jersey and Quantico, Virginia, who are processing the refuges before they are released to final destinations. People who want to help should reach out to their local agencies, such as Jewish Family Services, or to a website called Welcome.US, which he’s impressed with and which will help visitors donate cash, airline miles, Airbnb space or sponsor an arriving family, among other things. Markell said Delaware has benefitted so much over the years from new people that he thinks the Afghan resettlement is another change for Delaware to show off the spirit of hospitality, inclusion and generosity that he believes is at the heart of the community. “I think that can be a real win-win,” he said. Working in the White House is exciting, Markell said. “It’s also humbling to be given the magnitude and the importance of the work that takes place here,” he said. He’s been impressed by the quality of people there and those in the agencies he’s dealing with, all of whom have a remarkable combination of competence and compassion. As governor and a businessman, he’s had to deal with complicated issues, and he likes doing that. “This one is really complex when you consider the housing, health care, education, employment,” he said. “Adding the international dimension and adding the opportunity to work with people across the country is just very exciting, and I would say one of the best parts is being able to connect the dots.” […]
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