1) Can you boil PFAS out of water?
No, boiling water will not remove PFAS.
2) What should I look for in a home filter to remove PFAS?
There are home filters that can be used to filter PFAS. You want to be sure to select a filter certified for PFAS removal, specifically for PFOA and PFOS. Be aware, however, that there may be other PFAS chemicals present too. At the community level, please be aware that not everyone will be able to afford the cost of a filter. The website www.nsf.org has updated information on filters certified to remove PFAS.
3) Will we get PFAS from vegetables and fruit grown in soil contaminated with PFAS? Can they be washed out?
PFAS do have the ability to be absorbed into vegetables and fruit as they grow if they are planted in contaminated soil. The PFAS chemicals cannot be washed out from vegetables and fruits. We will continue to monitor for information related to this and related questions and post to the www.albany.edu/sph/pfas as it becomes available.
) Is there risk of dermal absorption, taking showers, for example?
There have been few studies examining inhalation and dermal exposure to PFAS while showering with water that has been contaminated. However, those studies that have been completed have shown that it is possible to have some additional exposure to PFAS through inhalation and dermal exposure from showering and using humidifiers. Since some inhalable water droplets (aerosols) can be formed during showering or bathing, the use of bathroom ventilation systems and opening bathroom windows while showering or bathing can help remove the water vapor/aerosols that form during showering or bathing.
Studies have shown very limited absorption of PFAS through the skin, but it is possible, although the movement of PFAS through the skin is extremely slow. However, as a precautionary measure and given the limited information on skin exposure, children or people with skin conditions (for example, rashes, cuts and abrasions) should avoid prolonged contact (such as long showers or long baths) with PFAS-contaminated water.
5) Is there a way to know how long the chemicals have been in Rockland’s water?
If an investigation identifies sources, then we might be able to make assumptions, but at this point there's no good way to know.
6) The Nyack Water Department (not Suez) supplies my drinking water in the village of Nyack. I am concerned that this small utility will drag their feet on installing treatment due to lack of funds. Are you aware of any resources available to support this small utility?
Department of Health and Nyack have, or will, negotiate a timeline for implementing treatment, according to the Nyack public notice of its violation of the PFOA drinking water standard. The public can pressure the Department of Health (DOH) and Nyack to set aggressive timelines for implementing PFASremoval treatment. As for funding, this July 2019 press release references the last big investment the state made in community treatment systems for newly regulated drinking water contaminants (PFOA, PFOS and 1,4-dioxane). Nyack should seek help from DOH to apply.
7) Did everyone who has PFAS in their water in Rockland County get a notice about it? Or could there have been some folks in Rockland County who have PFAS in their water and don’t know about it?
Customers of Suez or Nyack Water got notices. Suffern water company customers didn't get notices, presumably because the level did not exceed the new drinking water standards. was below the MCL. Private well owners in Rockland also did not get notices of Suez well contamination. Residents of multi-family apartment or condo complexes who do not pay their own water bills also did not get individual notices. See question 8 below.
8) What about notification for multi-unit dwellers such as condos, co-ops and renters? Info/notifications go to Managers or Boards which don’t always communicate with residents.
Suez notifies landlords or superintendents, but even if they post the notice on a bulletin board in a central place, residents would have to look for that information. Local activists and organizations have been working with Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski on a state bill to require water companies to notify all residents of multi-family complexes about safety issues like this, but the bill has not yet gotten much movement in the legislature. So the answer is yes, there can be people in Rockland who have PFAS in their water and don't know it, in addition to the well owners unless they test their wells. Perhaps the answer is to join with others around the county and the state to press for legislation for direct notification to tenants.