PFAS in Bucks County and Montco: Some residents test high for 'forever chemicals' near bases

When Joe McGrath first found out about the contamination of PFAS chemicals in his community, he immediately knew he could be at risk.

Six years later, he was one of the first people in Pennsylvania to sign up for an ongoing study that will help shape understanding of these chemicals and their impacts on human health, and for the first time measure exposure in residents living near contaminated sites.

McGrath worked for nearly 30 years at the National Air Force Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove that contributed to the groundwater contamination in Bucks and Montgomery counties on and around the base. Today, he is one of nearly 1,000 residents in impacted areas, including Horsham, Willow Grove and Warminster, who have volunteered for a nationwide study that includes six sites in other states.

In the past month, McGrath along with 450 other participants in the PFAS study here received the results of blood testing that examined chemical levels in the body. Officials also have recently authorized an expansion of the testing and will now include 500 more Bucks and Montgomery County residents.

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Announced in 2019 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and funded by the Department of Defense, the study look sat PFAS contamination and blood levels in at-risk populations at seven sites in the United States.

Eleven municipalities in Bucks and Montgomery counties near three former military bases here make up Pennsylvania's only study area. The study represents the first time testing has been made available to these residents.

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Although there is evidence that the Department of Defense knew about the risks of PFAS exposure for decades before it was made public, knowledge of its exact health effects is still in its infancy.

The multi-site study is one of the largest ever conducted, and will give researchers crucial data on risk factors and complications resulting from PFAS contamination. In return, participants get general blood testing and their PFAS blood levels, which can inform them of health screenings they may need to catch complications early, such as high cholesterol or cancer.

While some have received their results, including tests that show high levels, another 500 participants are still waiting. While individual test results have been released, researchers have not published overall statistics or other findings yet, waiting until all the data has been compiled. The study concludes late next year.

What is PFAS?

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of several thousand different chemicals. They are often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in the human body. These largely unregulated chemicals are used in everything from Teflon to pizza boxes.

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For decades, the border of Bucks and Montgomery County was home to three active military facilities that used PFAS-based firefighting foam in training exercises. Testing in the early 2010s indicated that these chemicals had accumulated in the groundwater of the surrounding area, posing a major health risk for area residents.

PFAS exposure has been linked to a number of health risks by researchers, including high cholesterol, risk of cancers, and pre-eclampsia in pregnancies, among others.

This ongoing multi-site study will help researchers to better understand the full effects of these chemicals on human health, and inform legislation on PFAS contamination in the future, officials have said.

McGrath kept himself informed on the PFAS issue from the beginning. “I had seen the articles in the paper early on, maybe in 2014” he said, “and I was one of the first to sign up (for this study).”

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Having worked as a parachute rigger at the Willow Grove base from 1980 until its closure in 2007, he had “no doubt” that he was exposed to the chemicals for decades.

“We never questioned what was coming out of the trucks,” said McGrath about the use of the chemicals by firefighting vehicles on the base. He recalled the base having little concern or restrictions on the firefighting foams that eventually came to be blamed for contaminating the area's water supply.

“One thing we had happen twice, we had a lightning strike and it set the foam system off in the hanger" said McGrath. "It was up to the top of the planes, about 20 feet deep. To get rid of it, they opened the doors and the wind just blew it away.”

Residents receive PFAS results 

McGrath’s results took roughly a year to process, partly due to COVID delays and partly due to the uniqueness of the testing being done. He received more general blood levels in the summer of 2022, and his PFAS levels late last month.

A ‘low’ level is defined as less than 2 nanograms per milliliter, or ng/mL, in the blood. A ‘moderate level’ of PFAS is 2-20 ng/mL, and a ‘high’ level is greater than 20 ng/mL.

McGrath had more than 19 times that amount, at 381 ng/mL.

While the amount was concerning for him, McGrath said he is more concerned for those in his community who either cannot or will not get tested.

“I feel for the residents ... it’s not something people talk about,” said McGrath. “How people approach these things can be strange, and when it comes to this, I can’t really understand (people choosing not to enroll).”

Julie Cassidy, a practice administrator and medical technician who has lived in Warminster for 25 years, was also tested, along with two of her children.

Cassidy’s husband died of a rare environmental cancer; while his death cannot be directly linked to PFAS exposure, it made Cassidy one of many local residents who lost a loved one to cancer, fueling fears over the impact of PFAS

Cassidy also had high levels, although hers were in the range of 30-40 ng/mL. Cassidy recalled opening her results as an emotional moment.

“It didn’t frighten me,” said Cassidy. “It made me immensely sad. Sad for the environment, sad for how my husband died, and for all the people on my street who’re going through this.”

As a medical professional, Cassidy understands that some residents might be afraid of knowing their levels for certain, especially considering the many unknowns surrounding PFAS health impacts, but would urge others to sign up for the remaining spots in the study.

“If you told you’re doctor you have a family history of diabetes, or your doctor told you, you can be on the lookout for that,” said Cassidy. “This is the same. Information is valuable.”

Todd Stephens, a lifelong Horsham resident, who last month completed his term as state representative for the 151^st District and called for the nationwide study back in 2015, received his results last month as well, also testing in the 'high’ range.

“It’s slightly alarming, but I could have suspected that I fell in the high range,” said Stephens, “Now, I'll get the screenings I need, and it’s better than finding out later that I’ve developed some illness.”

McGrath, Cassidy, and Stephens all found the testing process simple and efficient. Each arrived for their appointment, answered questions about where they had lived in the study area, and gave a blood and urine sample.

Nationwide PFAS study allows adults and children to volunteer

The study tests for a variety of blood levels, giving participants $75 in gift cards for volunteering, and they later receive a separate report on their PFAS levels.

“We’ve already interviewed more than 1,000 adults,” said Dr. Linda Brown, a head investigator and researcher on the Pennsylvania PFAS study, “and 960 adults have been to our office.”

The original study was approved for 1,000 adults and 300 children, but due to high interest it has been expanded.

“Our new enrollment target for adults is 1,500,” said Brown over email, adding that new participants need to register by March, but that appointments will take place between now and the end of May 2023.

According to Brown, the Pennsylvania study area has the highest adult enrollment of any of the seven sites testing nationwide. However, according to the study’s website, enrollment of children here is the among lowest nationwide, hitting just 22% of its goal.

Brown emphasized the need for children to be included. “We don’t have very much information about the health effects of PFAS in children," she said. Exposure to PFAS in childhood or during a pregnancy can increase children's risk of health issues seldom tested for in those under the age of 18.

For instance, Brown added that "recent screening guidelines by the National Academics of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), recommend that children with moderate and high levels of PFAS be screened for high cholesterol and other lipids that aren’t routinely tested for in children."

To be eligible, participants must have lived in one of the eleven municipalities being analyzed between 2005 and 2017; children must be between the ages of 5 and 17, with mothers who lived in the study during that same timeframe. The study are includes Horsham, Ivyland, Warminster, Warrington, Abington, Hatboro, Northampton, Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, Upper Southampton, and Warwick.

“This study is going to help the country and the world,” said Joanne Stanton, co-founder of the Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water, a leading advocate in the fight to set health advisory levels for PFAS in drinking water with local, state and federal agencies. “These chemicals are in everybody’s blood. Our results as a community can help everyone understand PFAS contamination.”

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Concerns remain about where PFAS is in Bucks, Montgomery counties

While testing continues, and participants are grateful for the results, and the knowledge they provide, the root of the PFAS problem is not lost on them.

Many residents are still anxious about water contamination, one of the main sources of PFAS exposure in the Bucks-Montgomery study area.

Much of the area's water now comes from the Delaware River via connections with North Wales Water Authority.

The most recent water report from Warminster Water Authority, dated 2021, indicates nondetectable levels in area wells, and 2.5 parts per trillion in interconnections. North Wales Water Authority reports 1.9 ppt for the same year. This is far below the 70 ppt health advisory from the EPA, although some groups including Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water have pushed for non-detect levels to be the limit.

Brown has been comparing results to a much smaller 2018 pilot study in the same area. Although it is still too early to draw any conclusions on the data, she noted that “rates were high in 2018, and the rates remain high in this area.” This is despite the reduction in water contamination since 2016, indicating that these chemicals persist for years in the human body, Brown said.

While results and research will be indispensable for researchers and other health professionals, some residents are also hoping that a greater understanding of the effects of PFAS contamination will bring accountability.

McGrath, for one, hopes that the Department of Defense will be made aware of the impact of their use of these potentially dangerous chemicals.

“I don’t only want them to understand what [PFAS] does,” said McGrath, “I want the government to understand what they’ve done.”

The Department of Defense has fought against lawsuits totaling $2 billion throughout the country surrounding PFAS impacts on wildlife, property value, and human health.  According to Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water, there is no class-action lawsuit underway for those exposed by the military facilities in Bucks and Montgomery counties.

“I think the bottom line is that people have the right to know if they were exposed,” said Stanton of the coalition, “and that exposure puts them at a higher risk of cancer and other health disorders. PFAS blood test results being provided free of charge through this study can provide some answers and suggest additional health screening to discuss with your physician ... In my opinion, this is a win-win situation.”

To join the PFAS study

To qualify for the study, participants must either be adults over the age of 18 or children aged 5-17 who lived in one of the study’s eleven townships between 2005 and 2017. Children whose mothers lived in those areas in that time frame, prior to their child’s birth, can also be eligible. The municipalities included in the study are: Horsham, Ivyland, Warminster, Warrington, Abington, Hatboro, Northampton, Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, Upper Southampton, and Warwick.

Due to high interest in the community, researchers were given permission last month to add an additional 500 testing slots for locals. Researchers are looking for members of the public who meet the study's criteria to fill the spots, including over 200 spots for children, which are an understudied demographic in PFAS health research. Participants receive free testing that will tell them their PFAS levels and associated health risk, as well as general blood testing and a $75 gift card.

Anyone interested in the study can visit the PA PFAS website, email papfashealth@rti.org, or call their hotline at 1-877-267-2890.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County, Montco residents get PFAS test results