The Baltimore Sun’s editorial staff is to be commended for shining a light on the problem of PFAS in drinking water (“We can’t fight threat of PFAS chemicals alone,” Sept. 4). As a pediatrician, I am particularly concerned about their effects on children over many years of exposure to these “forever chemicals,” which are poorly and slowly eliminated from the body.
The Maryland Department of the Environment should also be acknowledged for prioritizing child health and taking prompt action to address this issue in school drinking water years ahead of the 2027 requirement in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s April regulations. Unfortunately, bottled water is not currently covered by these regulations. As your editorial stated, 36 of 101 brands had per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances detected in a 2021 Johns Hopkins study and a safe supply of bottled water will be needed until affected drinking water sources have been remediated.
Fortunately, technologies exist that can remove PFAS from drinking water through reverse osmosis filters, granular activated carbon and ion exchange systems. President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law dedicated $9 billion specifically for PFAS pollution and another $12 billion for general drinking water improvements, funds that will go a long way toward the cost of assuring safe water supplies.
One PFAS source not mentioned in your editorial is the use of pesticides on crops and for mosquito control. Over 1,000 of the 14,000 pesticides approved in Maryland contain an active ingredient included on EPA’s list of PFAS chemicals. These pesticides add to the PFAS burden that may already be present from contaminated biosolid fertilizer or irrigation water. Maryland’s legislature will have the opportunity to ban these pesticides in the 2025 legislative session and eliminate additional PFAS contamination.
It is crucial to continue this work begun by EPA and MDE for our health and our children’s health. This November, we have the opportunity to be part of the solution by electing candidates who are committed to clean water and rejecting those who promise to do away with environmental regulations. We can’t afford to retreat from efforts to eliminate PFAS contamination in our food and drinking water.
— Michael Ichniowski, M.D., Timonium
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