Minnesota Health Department Recommends Residents Use Activated Carbon Filters
After concerns about drinking water contamination by perfluorochemicals (PFCs) residues from firefighting foam were raised, residents of 15 Minnesota towns have been instructed by the Minnesota Health Department to use Point-of-Use (POU) activated charcoal filters to filter their drinking water until test results have been returned. Testing of the potentially affected drinking water areas will begin in March and results are expected later this year. The use of POU filters is a precaution suggested for residents concerned about the safety of their drinking water as they have been shown to reduce the levels of PFCs in water to safe levels.
PFCs in drinking water is an increasing issue as the expended firefighting foam at fire training sites is washed into storm sewers or is absorbed into the ground, potentially contaminating the surrounding wells. PFCs are especially potent as they do not biodegrade, and accumulate in the tissues of both exposed humans and wildlife. The foam in question has been used nationwide for years wherever petroleum based fires are prevalent, such as at military bases, airports, and refineries, which makes testing even more important to discover the extent of the potential contamination. Drinking water in both Oakdale and Lake Elmo have already been reported in 2004 to contain unsafe levels of PFCs.