Assessment of health risks from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (pfas, pfoa) exposure in contaminated water sources in west Virginia and recommendations for advanced technological treatments

Abstract

The Parkersburg, West Virginia area has faced significant contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances due to heavy industrial releases from DuPont and Chemours facilities. These so called “forever chemicals” have infiltrated local groundwater and surface water sources which has posed a substantial health risk to residents who mainly rely on private wells for drinking water. Therefore, my paper assesses the extent of PFAS contamination in Parkersburg, evaluates the associated health risks, and identifies cost-effective remediation strategies. I conducted a human health risk assessment using groundwater contamination from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and blood serum concentrations from the C8 Health Project. Risk quotients (RQ) are a metric used in conducting human risk assessments that evaluates the potential hazard of a contaminant. They were calculated based on the given exposure levels, which had revealed that all sampled locations exceeded safe thresholds, with Wood County having the highest RQ values (Child RQ = 161.21, Adult RQ = 86.28). Blood concentration data further confirmed the elevated exposure, which reinforces the urgency for intervention. I also examined the ‘probable link’ between PFAS exposure and adverse health outcomes as was determined by the C8 Science Panel. Testicular cancer (Relative Risk p to 3.0), autoimmune diseases (RR up to 3.2) and heart disease (RR up to 1.38) showed the strongest associations which highlights the long-term public health implications of PFAS contamination. In addressing contamination levels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Best Available Technologies were evaluated, which included granular activated carbon, anion exchange, and reverse osmosis/nanofiltration. While reverse osmosis/nanofiltration demonstrates the highest removal efficiency of 99.9%, the evaluated high costs, reaching up to 84 million USD, presented financial challenges for local municipalities. Granular activated carbon offer more cost-effective solutions but would require supplemental treatments that would meet EPA’s newly updated stringent standards. Given Parkersburg’s ongoing efforts to upgrade water treatment infrastructure, this study recommends a hybrid approach that combines granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis/nanofiltration to balance efficacy as well as affordability. My findings underscore the need for immediate regulatory action and continued monitoring to help mitigate PFAS exposure, ultimately protecting public health.