Along with the stress of a new school year, some Baltimore area schools also are dealing with elevated levels of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” found in their water systems.
Water testing detected elevated levels of PFAS in several schools in Baltimore, Howard and Harford counties. In some schools, bottled water will be the new normal while solutions are being worked on.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are an expansive group containing thousands of man-made chemicals that have been used to create several products, from nonstick pans to waterproof raincoats. Though their resistance to water and heat makes the chemicals useful, it also means that once they get into the environment they don’t readily degrade, which earned them the forever chemical nickname.
Certain levels of exposure to PFAS have adverse health effects such as developmental delays in children, cancer and increased cholesterol, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Children can be more exposed to PFAS than adults because they drink more water, eat more food and breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults, according to the EPA.
The EPA set a new regulation in April, establishing legally enforceable levels of six PFAS in drinking water and a hazard index for the levels of mixtures of PFAS containing at least two or more of certain chemicals. Public water systems must monitor PFAS levels by 2027 and implement solutions for compliance by 2029.
The Maryland Department of the Environment’s monitoring of PFAS has, and will continue to be, ahead of the EPA requirements, a department spokesperson said. The agency is testing for the chemicals in schools that rely on their own water systems through wells and aren’t connected to a larger utility.
“The health of schoolchildren is very important to us, which is why the state has a robust early sampling and response system to isolate drinking water sources and see that bottled water is provided when high levels of these contaminants are present,” Jay Apperson, deputy director of the Office of Communications for MDE, said in a statement.
In Baltimore County, two schools, Kingsville Elementary School and Jacksonville Elementary School, had PFAS levels above the federal limit after testing, according to a district spokesperson. Bottled water will be provided at both schools as water fountains are closed and the sinks are adorned with signs that they are for hand-washing only. The spokesperson confirmed Jacksonville Elementary School has a well water system.
Baltimore County Public Schools will work with MDE on plans to reduce PFAS levels with strategies that could include finding an alternative water source or installing treatment, according to a district spokesperson. Parents of students at the schools with elevated levels were sent a notice.
Bottled water will also be provided to students at five schools within the Harford County Public Schools district and three schools in Howard County.
In Howard County, PFAS chemicals were detected in three schools and remediation occurred, according to email notifications sent to parents from Aug. 19 to 23. Lisbon Elementary School has turned off fixtures used to consume drinking water and sinks already have a label reading “Do not use for drinking.”
At Glenwood Middle School and Bushy Park Elementary School, bottled water will be provided to students even though MDE didn’t recommend the schools bar the consumption of drinking water, according to the emails.
Building maintenance is considering the installation of a water treatment system and will collect follow-up samples once installed to assess its effectiveness, the emails said. The district will continue to sample for PFAS even before the EPA’s regulations take effect in 2027. PFAS were found at Dayton Oaks Elementary School, Glenelg High School, Folly Quarter Middle School and West Friendship Elementary School, but remained below the EPA-regulated levels.
In Harford County, testing found high levels of PFAS in the water systems at Fallston High School, Harford Technical High School, Harford Academy, Norrisville Elementary School and Prospect Mill Elementary School. MDE recommended that the school system find alternative sources of drinking water. Most of Harford County’s public schools are supplied water from wells.
In Anne Arundel County, there are no schools with elevated PFAS levels, according to Bob Mosier, chief communications officer for the school system. A spokesperson for Carroll County schools said Friday afternoon that they had just received a report on the subject and were in the process of reviewing the information.
The levels of PFAS detected in area schools are “deeply concerning,” especially as young children are vulnerable due to their bodies still developing, Sydney Evans, senior science analyst at the Environmental Working Group, said in a statement.
“With levels of PFOA, PFOS and other PFAS compounds far exceeding safety thresholds, it’s alarming that hundreds of students were unknowingly exposed to these toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in their drinking water,” Evans said in the statement.
The EPA’s new regulations set a final health-based, non-enforceable maximum contaminant level goal of zero for PFOA and PFOS compounds. According to the National Institute of Health, the PFOA compound is a carcinogen and PFOS is classified as a possible carcinogen.
Evans expressed her relief for the quick action of the Harford County schools but noted that more action to mitigate PFAS chemicals will be required.
“But this is just the beginning—urgent steps must be taken to identify the source of the PFAS contamination and ensure that no child is ever exposed to these hazardous chemicals again,” Evans said in the statement. “We must protect these kids and school staff from further harm.”
Reporter Thomas Goodwin Smith contributed to this article.
