There has been a lot of news surrounding Wolverine Worldwide since news broke about them contaminating the local water. Robin Bartells, from Gordon Water Service, wrote the following article on how you can safely remove PFCs and PFAs from your drinking water.
PFA’s in Drinking Water
Recently, in local news they are reporting that there are polyfluoroalkyl (PFAs) substances also called perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in local wells at alarming levels located just outside the city of Grand Rapids. The source of this most recent contamination is from an old, abandoned dump, now several across the area. Acceptable levels of PFCs and PFAs is 70ppt (parts per trillion.) All local residents are being told to not drink from their wells and drink only bottled water until further notice.
After being notified about the issue, the manufacturer responsible began working with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Grand Rapids district to test the water and found the presence of per/polyfluoroalkyl substances, called PFAS, in 21 residences. Of those tested with verified results, one was tested at 27,000 parts per trillion.
PFAS are odorless and tasteless compounds that are resistant to heat, water, and oil. Often found in cosmetics and Teflon, they have been used in hundreds of industrial applications and consumer products such as carpeting, apparels, upholstery, food paper wrappings, fire-fighting foams and metal plating. PFAS bio accumulate, (increasing concentration over time in blood and organs). At high concentrations, certain PFAS have been linked to adverse health effects in laboratory animals that may reflect associations between exposure to these chemicals and some health problems such as low birth weight, delayed puberty onset, elevated cholesterol levels, and reduced immunologic responses to vaccination.
How can you remove PFCs/PFAs from your drinking water? The solution is best addressed with a highly rated reverse osmosis drinking water system that also includes a high density activated carbon filter. Gordon Water Systems carries the Kinetico K5 Reverse Osmosis System that is 3rd party verified to have the highest contaminant removal. Gordon Water Systems was started in West Michigan in 1973 and has been helping families have clean, safe water in their homes for over 45 years. Contact us to schedule a water test. www.gordonwater.com
