Tests on Galesburg’s water have detected artificial chemicals at a level above the state’s tentative guidance level, which can cause serious health problems.
Samples taken in November measured the levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, at 17 parts per trillion and 12 the following month. Although the state and federal EPA have not set official guidelines when it comes to how much PFAS can be in the water, the results from November and December were much higher than the 2 parts per trillion guidance level.
The high level may be offsetting to some, but city leaders said it doesn’t mean it’s dangerous.
Galesburg Public Works Director Wayne Carl said the federal government hadn’t deemed PFAS hazardous, but that could always change.
PFAS have several forms and are commonly found in food packaging, household products, paints, fire-fighting foams and workplace facilities. They don’t break down quickly in humans or the environment.
The source of PFAS in Galesburg’s water is unknown, but Carl believes it could have come from the Mississippi aquifer, where the city gets its water.
“At some point, they were introduced into the Mississippi River waste stream,” Carl told The Register-Mail. “These are not at all occurring naturally in the environment.”
Long-term consumption of PFAS could lead to health risks, precisely the body’s inability to break down an accumulation of the substance. Some forms of the chemical lead to thyroid hormone disruption and increased cholesterol levels. Laboratory tests on animals have also resulted in tumors and impacts to reproduction, liver, and kidneys.
Carl said the city is developing a game plan on dealing with these chemicals but assures people the water is safe to drink.
The city has pulled water samples from its five wells to try to pinpoint where the higher levels are coming from.
Carl said they’ll start with blending the water sources to see if it brings the levels below December’s 12 parts per trillion.
Galesburg is one of 14 communities of 363 tested that exceeded the guidance levels in Illinois.
