ACI-NA Environmental Affairs Committee Conference April 18, 2012 Las Vegas, Nevada

Transcription

1 ACI-NA Environmental Affairs Committee Conference April 18, 2012 Las Vegas, Nevada PFCs (and we re not talking about money) Background on Perfluorochemicals Roy Fuhrmann Director of Environment Metropolitan Airports Commission

2 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

3 What are PFC s Perfluorochemicals? Introduction - Background Family of manmade chemicals that have been used for decades to make products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water Common uses include nonstick cookware, stain-resistant carpets and fabrics (Scotchgard), coatings on some food packaging (especially microwave popcorn bags and fast food wrappers), as components of fire-fighting foam, and other industrial applications Some of the chemicals in the PFC group are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS; C 8 F 17 SO 3 ), perfluorobutane sulfonate ( PFBS; C 4 F 9 C0 3 ), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; C 8 F 15 O 2 H), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA; C 4 F 7 O 2 H), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS; C 6 F 13 SO 3 ) The chemical structures of PFCs make them extremely resistant to breakdown in the environment

4 What are PFC s Perfluorochemicals? Do PFCs occur naturally or are they man-made? PFCs are manmade chemicals Do not occur naturally Minnesota is one of the few states in the United States where these chemicals were made The 3M Company made PFCs at its Cottage Grove facility beginning in the late 1950 s and ceased manufacturing in Other American manufacturers have phased out production of PFCs Manufacturers in other countries continue to produce PFOA and PFOS for use in products that are legally exported and used for beneficial purposes around the world Are PFCs found in everyday products used by people? PFCs are used both as an ingredient in the manufacturing process as well as being part of some finished products It is unclear if PFCs are released from commercial products during normal use

5 What are PFC s Perfluorochemicals? What do we know about PFCs in the environment? in fish? in people? PFCs are very stable in the environment May be found in soil, sediments, water or in other places Studies indicate that some PFCs easily enter groundwater and may move long distances PFCs have been found in the blood of many species of wildlife around the world

6 Are PFCs Harmful? Studies show that nearly all people have some PFCs in their blood, regardless of age How PFCs get into human blood is not well understood at this time People can be exposed through food, drinking water, commercial products or from the environment Some PFCs stay in the human body for many years or longer PFCs may be toxic to the liver and thyroid gland and may also affect fetal and neonatal development The PFC family of chemicals is the focus of active scientific research In laboratory animal studies, high concentrations of PFCs cause harmful changes in the liver and other organs Developmental problems have been seen in the offspring of rats and mice exposed to PFCs while pregnant A study of 70,000 people exposed to PFOA in drinking water in Ohio and West Virginia is evaluating the apparent correlation of PFOA and PFOS levels in the participants blood and clinical health measures, such as cholesterol and thyroid hormone levels At present, these studies have not shown a direct link between PFCs and human diseases.

7 PFC s and AFFF Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF): PFCs have unique chemical characteristics which help the foam flow across burning petroleum, allow water to form a layer on top of burning debris or liquid petroleum which cools the fire Help the foam seal in chemical vapors to prevent fire When spilled or disposed of, PFCs can enter groundwater and easily move long distances, potentially affecting nearby water supplies

8 Testing for PFCs The MPCA and the MDH started sampling private wells for PFCs in 2004 Four PFCs have defined drinking water values from the MDH PFBA and PFBS have a Health Based Value (HBV) of 7,000 ng/l All results were below the HBV PFOA and PFOS have a Health Risk Level(HRL) of 300 ng/l All PFOA results were above the HRL Three of the PFOS samples were below the HRL and foruth was below detection limit. The detection limit is greater than the HRL well advisory guidelines of 0.5 parts per billion (PPB) for PFOA and 0.3 PPB for PFOS, were discovered in residential wells in Lake Elmo and Oakdale MDH is using well advisory guidelines of 1.0 ppb for PFBA, PFPeA, and PFHxA, and 0.6 ppb for PFBS and PFHxS, which is believed to be protective of people s health MPCA tested glycol impacted stormwater containing Aircraft Deicing Fluid for PFCs - Results indicate GISW with ADF is not a suspected source PFC Test Parameters PFBA PFPeA PFHxA PFHpA PFOA PFNA PFDA PFUnA PFDoA PFBS PFHxS PFOS PFOSA

9 Subject: EPA News Release (HQ): EPA Announces Actions to Address Chemicals of Concern, Including Phthalates FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 30, 2009 EPA Announces Actions to Address Chemicals of Concern, Including Phthalates Agency continues efforts to work for comprehensive reform of toxic substance laws EPA s View WASHINGTON - As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson s commitment to strengthen and reform chemical management, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a series of actions on four chemicals raising serious health or environmental concerns, including phthalates. For the first time, EPA intends to establish a Chemicals of Concern list and is beginning a process that may lead to regulations requiring significant risk reduction measures to protect human health and the environment. The agency s actions represent its determination to use its authority under the existing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to the fullest extent possible, recognizing EPA s strong belief that the 1976 law is both outdated and in need of reform. In addition to phthalates, the chemicals EPA is addressing today are short-chain chlorinated paraffins, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorinated chemicals, including PFOA. These chemicals are used in the manufacture of a wide array of products and have raised a range of health and environmental concerns. EPA also recently announced that three U.S. companies agreed to phase out DecaBDE, a widely used fire retardant chemical that may potentially cause cancer and may impact brain function. The American people are understandably concerned about the chemicals making their way into our products, our environment and our bodies, said Administrator Jackson. We will continue to use our authority under existing law to protect Americans from exposure to harmful chemicals and to highlight chemicals we believe warrant concern. At the same time, I will continue to fight for comprehensive reform of the nation s outdated chemical management laws that ensures a full assessment of the safety of chemicals on the market today and effective actions to reduce risks where chemicals do not meet the safety standard. Chemical safety is an issue of utmost importance, especially for children, and this will remain a top priority for me and our agency going forward. On September 29, 2009, Administrator Jackson outlined a set of agency principles to help inform legislative reform and announced that EPA would act on a number of widely studied chemicals that may pose threats to human health. When TSCA was passed in 1976, there were 60,000 chemicals on the inventory of existing chemicals. Since that time, EPA has only successfully restricted or banned five existing chemicals and has only required testing on another two hundred existing chemicals. An additional 20,000 chemicals have entered the marketplace for a total of more than 80,000 chemicals on the TSCA inventory. The actions announced today include: Adding phthalates and PBDE chemicals to the concern list. Beginning a process that could lead to risk reductions actions under section 6 of TSCA for several phthalates, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, and perfluorinated chemicals. Reinforcing the DecaBDE phaseout which will take place over three years with requirements to ensure that any new uses of PBDEs are reviewed by EPA prior to returning to the market. This is the first time EPA has used TSCA s authority to list chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health and the environment. The decision to list the chemicals further signals this administration s commitment to aggressively use the tools at its disposal under TSCA. Inclusion on the list publicly signals EPA s strong concern about the risks that those chemicals pose and the agency s intention to manage those risks. Once listed, chemical companies can provide information to the agency if they want to demonstrate that their chemical does not pose an unreasonable risk. More information on EPA s legislative reform principles and a fact sheet on the complete set of actions on the four chemicals: Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser. View all news releases related to pesticides and toxic chemicals CONTACT: Dale Kemery Ensta Jones kemery.dale@epa.gov jones.enesta@epa.gov

10 AFFF Manufacturing All AFFF, regardless of manufacture has PFCs 3M AFFF was produced using an electrofluorination process Ansul AFFF is produced using a telomerization process Newer Versions of AFFF typically do not use PFOA or PFOS but have been replaced with a shorter chain of PFC It would be accurate to say that AFFF foam is PFOS/PFOA free, but it is inaccurate to say an AFFF is PFC free

11 Airport Products with Possible PFCs Aviation Hydraulic Fluid Rust Suppressants Metal-plating - Chrome baths Electronic Etching Carpet (Stainmaster) Carpet and Furniture Treatment Products (Teflon, Fabri-Coate, Scotchgard, Fluoropolymers) Carpet and Furniture Cleaning Products (Scotchgard) Clothing (Gore-Tex, Stainmaster) Office Furniture (Scotchgard) Luggage (Teflon) Automotive Products (Teflon, Scotchgard, PFTE) Computer Accessories (Scotchgard) Paints/Coatings (Teflon) Gardening Products - Pesticides (Teflon) Firefighting Foam Aircraft Deicing Fluid

12 AFFF Capture At MSP AFFF used for training is conducted in an area in which the spent fluid can be captured and sent to a local POTW for processing

13 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Questions