PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — The first part of a first-in-the-nation study of people who drank contaminated drinking water at the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was recently released by federal health officials.
Nearly 1,000 adults and children were found to have much higher concentrations of PFAS chemicals than the general population. A forthcoming report may link some health conditions to the compounds—answers that could better inform other exposed communities across the country.
To say Andrea Amico has been waiting a long time for answers is an understatement.
"My children are getting older now and just want to know if this going to impact them as they continue to grow," Amico explained with frustration.
It's been nearly 10 years since she discovered that her husband and two older children drank water contaminated with PFAS chemicals at Pease International Tradeport, at work, and at daycare. The former Air Force base is home to 250 companies and about 10,000 employees.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are long-lasting, harmful chemicals that persist in the environment for a long time.
The compounds were in firefighting foam used in training exercises. She and other moms fought for a groundbreaking study—the PFAS Pease Study that began in 2019, conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)—a division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exposure to the toxic chemicals has found possible ties to some health problems including organ-related cancers and thyroid disease.
NEWS CENTER Maine was on hand when Amico's then 9-year-old daughter underwent blood testing and other health screenings for the study, which drew nearly 1,000 adults and children.
The first report released last month found that the group had high amounts of a variety of chemicals in their bodies, but concentrations were lower compared to blood tests taken between 2015 and 2017.
"They did start at a higher level than most people in the country, that's not good, but it is coming down, and that is very encouraging to me," Dr. Aaron Bernstein, the director of the National Center for Environmental Health and the ATSDR, said.
"It underscores the concerns people have, Do these chemicals stay in your body for a long time? And what types of health effects do they cause?" Andrea stated.
Bernstein met with the Pease community earlier this week. He said a second yet-to-be-released report could reveal possible links between health conditions reported by patients and exposure to the compounds. The most common health conditions include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
"Our next step is to see if you had higher levels of PFAS and if you were more likely to have one of these conditions," Bernstein said.
Federal health officials didn't say when the second report will be released. The results will be part of a nationwide study looking at the impact of PFAS in seven other communities.
"How do our health effects compare with everybody else and what kind of information can we get out of a much larger study?" Andrea added.
Findings that could be key in guiding areas grappling with PFAS contamination across the country.