OHIO — One of the latest contaminants that threaten the safety of water is "forever chemicals," and the State of Ohio is working to find solutions to remove them.
The Ohio EPA has been conducting a statewide study to determine how dangerous per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are getting into local water sources.
Gov. Mike DeWine and other state leaders on Monday announced the expansion of this study to include 29 rivers. In Southwest Ohio, the Ohio EPA will be taking samples from the Great Miami and Little Miami rivers.
"It's not one thing," said Christ Curran, Ph.D., director of NKU's neuroscience department. "It's a class of chemicals that have been used for decades."
PFAS are known as forever chemicals because they can take centuries to break down. The EPA said they're found in products like fire extinguishing foam, certain grease-resistant paper and some cleaning products.
If humans come in contact with PFAS, it can be harmful to their health, causing symptoms like high blood pressure in pregnant women, an increased risk of some cancers and high cholesterol, according to the EPA.
"We have to stop the source, we have to stop it from getting in our water," said Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel.
But first, the Ohio EPA has to find it in the water.
"Where is it in our big rivers and in our streams so that we can start to hone in on the sources of contamination," Vogel said.
Once scientists find these sources of contamination, they said they'll start to get rid of them.
For example, if they find contaminated soil that's polluting the water, Vogel said they could dig up the soil.
"We're working with partners on new technology that actually destroy PFAS compounds," she said.
Vogel said it's an ongoing process that will take time, but in the meantime, she wants to reassure Ohioans.
"We are able to treat it in drinking water," she said. "That is not a public health concern at this time in Ohio."
As WCPO has previously reported, Vogel said Greater Cincinnati Water Works is a model for the state when it comes to treatment.
"We're not going to be able to treat our way out of this," Vogel said. "We're finding across the country, it's very expensive to treat."
So Ohio leaders are working to find another solution.
The Ohio River is not part of this study, Vogel said, because of the work the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) already does. She said since both the Great Miami River and Little Miami River feed into the Ohio River, the work they do to reduce PFAS in those rivers, will have a positive impact on the Ohio River.
