15 Million Americans may be Drinking Water Contaminated with PFCs

More than 15 million Americans across 27 states may have drinking water contaminated with perfluorochemicals (PFCs) that are used to make non-stick cookware and other products, according to a report published in June 2017. [1]

PFCs have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and weakened immune systems. What’s more, prenatal exposure to the chemicals has been linked to low birthweight and future obesity. Even small amounts in drinking water are considered a public health threat.

Research by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Northeastern University in Boston reveals that drinking water has been polluted with perfluorochemicals from more than 4 dozen industrial and military sources from Maine to California. [2]

In a press release, managing editor of the EWG Bill Walker said:

“It’s remarkable that the richest country on earth can’t guarantee its citizens that their drinking water is completely safe and has no long-term health implications.” [1]

Although the CDC has found perfluorocarbons in the bodies of virtually all Americans and knows that mothers can pass the chemicals to their babies through the umbilical cord, there are currently no federal health regulations for the chemicals in drinking water. [2]

The last time a drinking water contaminant was added to the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act was 25 years ago. [1]

Two types of PFCs, called PFOA and PFOS, have waterproof and non-stick properties, making them used in the production of cookware, outdoor clothing, food packaging, and firefighting foam. DuPont formerly used the chemicals to make its Teflon non-stick cookware, and PFCs were formerly an ingredient in 3M’s Scotchgard.

Perfluorochemicals were phased out in the U.S. after it was revealed that both companies spent decades covering up the health risks of the substances. [2]

U.S. chemical manufacturers replaced PFOA and PFOS with a different type of PFC that is molecularly different. However, it was not adequately tested for safety before going on the market. The few studies that do exist indicate they’re not much safer than older PFCs.

EWG and the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeaster collaborated to create an interactive map that, EWG says, “combines federal drinking water data and information on all publicly documented cases of PFAS pollution from manufacturing plants, military air bases, civilian airports and fire training sites.”

Sources:

[1] Time

[2] Environmental Working Group

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

CDC Warning: Thousands of Heart Patients at Risk from Contaminated Surgical Devices

On October 13, officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned that bacteria may have contaminated special devices used during open heart surgery, putting more than half a million heart surgery patients at risk. [1]

Source: The Seattle Times

The devices, LivaNova PLC (formerly Sorin Group Deutschland GmbH) Stockert 3T heater-cooler devices, might have been contaminated with Mycobacterium chimaera bacteria during manufacturing, according to the CDC. [2]

In a news release, the agency said that people who have had open heart surgery should seek immediate medical care if they develop any signs of infection, including night sweats, muscle aches, weight loss, fatigue, or unexplained fever.

Additionally, the CDC said that doctors and hospitals should identify and inform patients who might have been put at risk.

Dr. Michael Bell, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, said:

“It’s important for clinicians and their patients to be aware of this risk so that patients can be evaluated and treated quickly.

“Hospitals should check to see which type of heater-coolers are in use, ensure that they’re maintained according to the latest manufacturer instructions, and alert affected patients and the clinicians who care for them.”

The heater-cooler devices are used in more than 250,000 heart bypass procedures each year. The devices use water to help keep a patient’s blood circulating and organs at a specific temperature during surgery. The water does not come into contact with the patient, but bacteria can be transmitted through the air from the device’s exhaust vent.

Bell explained:

“Some smart engineer designed it because surgeons said they need to keep this cool and that warm. But no one probably said, it needs not to have a fan because it wasn’t part of the calculation. The person who wanted this machine, they weren’t thinking about maintenance and repair.” [1]

Contaminated Stockert 3T heater-cooler devices infected at least 12 individuals at a hospital in York, Pennsylvania, last year. Six of the individuals died, though officials initially said they weren’t positive that infection was the primary cause of the deaths. [3]

The infection was identified at other hospitals, as well, and DNA testing confirmed the presence of the bacteria.

Risk is Low

Fortunately, the risk of infection is very low, according to Bell – from about 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000 in hospitals where at least 1 infection had been identified. However, the CDC said:

“Although thousands of patients in the United States have been notified regarding potential exposure to contaminated heater-cooler devices, the number who were exposed might be much larger.” [1]

Rather than stop using the Stockert 3T heater-cooler devices, the CDC is simply recommending that healthcare workers and patients be aware of the potential for contamination. [3]

Mycobacterium Chimaera isn’t the Worst Bacteria Around – If You’re Healthy

Mycobacterium chimaera, also known as nontuberculous mycobacterium, or NTM, is found in nature and is not usually harmful for people with normal immunity; however, it can cause serious illness and death in people who are seriously ill or have compromised immune systems. The infection is slow-growing, and can worsen over the course of months or years. It is treatable, if caught in time.

Source: ePainAssist

Several individuals were diagnosed with the infection in Europe. Some of them sickened there were diagnosed almost 4 years after surgery. [1]

Surgical devices have been implicated in past infection outbreaks. An outbreak of Carbapenem resistant enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, spread by endoscopes, infected people in 42 states. The superbug can kill up to half of infected people who get bloodstream infections.

In the case of the endoscopes, the contamination was found to be caused by improper sterilization procedures. The devices were notoriously difficult to clean thoroughly.

Additionally, contaminated colonoscopes, devices used to perform colonoscopies, put nearly 300 people at a Massachusetts hospital at risk for HIV and hepatitis, due also to improper sterilization procedures.

Sources:

[1] The Washington Post

[2] HealthDay

[3] The New York Times

The Seattle Times

ePainAssist

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.