Latest news with #AndrewShapero
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Millionaires' island is plagued with 'toxic' drinking water that's slowing infecting its inhabitants
Water supplies across a wealthy Massachusetts island have been plagued with toxic 'forever chemicals' that cause a slew of health complications. Nantucket environmental officials have been discovering alarming levels of PFAS in the ritzy enclave's drinking water. PFAS, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are long-lasting chemicals that linger in the air, soil and water. They also build up in the human body - causing cancer, high cholesterol, liver damage and pregnancy complications, according to the CDC. Before experts realized their detrimental health and environmental impact, PFAS were used in various everyday products. Starting around the 1940s, they were commonly present in non-stick cookware, cleaning supplies, dental floss, candy wrappers and firefighting foam - which easily makes its way into groundwater. While certain types of PFAS are no longer used in the US, other variations of the potentially poisoning man-made chemicals are actually FDA approved for limited use, according to the agency. Nantucket has been grappling with concerning levels of PFAS contamination for years, but experts have noticed the problem is more widespread than they thought. 'The more we test, the more we're going to detect,' Andrew Shapero, Nantucket's new environmental contamination administrator, told the Boston Globe. It was previously understood that tainted areas included Nantucket Memorial Airport and Toms Way, located mid-island. But a recent Department of Environmental Protection investigation revealed private wells are also contaminated. Last month, Shaper warned the Board of Health one particular location - the intersection Hummock Pond Road and Burnt Swamp Lane - had PFAS levels 'above the imminent hazard threshold,' the Nantucket Current reported. The state standard for the maximum amount of the substances found in drinking water is 20 nanograms of per liter. At the Hummock Pond and Burnt Swamp intersection, 124 nanograms per liter were detected. 'That is an extremely concerning concentration to see in drinking water,' Shapero told the board. Shapero has been hired with the sole intent of tackling the island's PFAS problem and minimizing its harm. While addressing the water supply contamination, Shapero contextualized the issue, explaining places across the country are in the same worrying situation. 'PFAS have been detected in many wells on the island,' he told the outlet. 'PFAS have also been detected in many water sources throughout the country. 'And so from that perspective, Nantucket has a PFAS problem that is similar to the rest of the country.' Anywhere from 71 million to 95 million Americans rely on groundwater riddled with detectable levels of the substances, according to the US Geological Survey. But what makes Nantucket's dilemma unique is the island's dependency on groundwater. 'One is that Nantucket is a sole source aquifer, so all of the water on Nantucket comes from the ground that residents live on top of, whether that's private wells or the public water supply,' Shapero told the Boston Globe. 'So Nantucket really has no alternative options.' In 1984, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided the Nantucket Island Aquifer would be the area's sole source of drinking water, according to the agency. 'Certainly, to some extent, there is PFAS in the aquifer,' Shapero admitted, adding it is no easy feat trying to remove some of those compounds. 'Getting it out of the aquifer is challenging. Out of people's water is a little bit easier. These are forever chemicals, as you know, but filtration is an option.' The environmental official urged residents to get their blood tested to gauge if they have consumed dangerous amounts. Two nanograms per milliliter or less of PFAS in one's blood is considerably safe, he explained. But if someone has two to 20 nanograms detected - like 91 percent of Americans do - they 'might have some effects from PFAS,' Shapero said. 'On top of that, they have a threshold of 20, where you are in kind of the elevated area,' he told the outlet. 'And so that's about 9 percent of Americans who really should be keeping an eye on potential health effects from PFAS.' Ultimately, he encouraged people to test their privately owned wells, as he believes a 'substantial portion' of them have contaminated water. 'It's not just a Nantucket problem; it is a statewide and a countrywide problem,' he asserted.
Boston Globe
24-06-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Nantucket has a PFAS problem in the drinking water. It's his job to solve it.
And now, PFAS is cropping up on different parts of the island, too. The levels detected vary but, the worry is the same: these chemicals, technically called Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, can cause a troubling range of medical problems, from low birthweight to cancer, as well as effects on the thyroid, liver, kidneys, hormone levels, and the immune system. Advertisement Starting in the 1950s, PFAS were used in just about everything — nonstick coating on pans, candy bar wrappers, carpets, cleaning products, dental floss. One of the biggest sources, when it comes to ground water contamination on Nantucket and elsewhere, is firefighting foam, which can infiltrate the ground water. Because the chemicals don't easily break down, people who are exposed repeatedly over time can find that PFAS builds up in their bodies. 'The more we test, the more we're going to detect,' said Andrew Shapero, Nantucket's new environmental contamination administrator. Related : According to the town, Shapero is the first full-time municipal employee focused solely on PFAS mitigation, testing, research, communication, and education anywhere in the United States. Advertisement Shapero discussed the latest PFAS detection, what's known — and isn't — about the extent of the problem on the island, and how homeowners and vacation-goers should feel about their drinking water. The following interview has been edited and condensed for space. Q: How should people feel? How should homeowners and vacationers feel about the water on Nantucket? PFAS have been detected in many wells on the island. PFAS have also been detected in many water sources throughout the country. [The US Geological Survey And so from that perspective, Nantucket has a PFAS problem that is similar to the rest of the country. We definitely know we have some hotspots, like the airport or like Tom's Way. At the same time, MassDEP [Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protections] and UMass So, Nantucket has a PFAS problem. The rest of the state and the rest of the country have a PFAS problem, too. Related : Q: Why did Nantucket take the step of creating this position and hiring you? Nantucket does have a few interesting things going for it. One is that Nantucket is a sole source aquifer, so all of the water on Nantucket comes from the ground that residents live on top of, whether that's private wells or the public water supply. So Nantucket really has no alternative options. Advertisement We have gotten detects in private wells. We've gotten detects in the public water supply as well, and the town is busy getting treatment installed on the public water supply. On top of that, we also have all of our town utilities on the island as well. Nantucket has a waste water treatment facility. It also has a landfill. It has an airport, of course. So a lot of towns have maybe some of those utilities, but don't have all of those. Nantucket, everything is just squished together. Q: You mentioned Nantucket has a sole-source aquifer. Is the aquifer contaminated with PFAS? And if so, once it's contaminated, can it be un-contaminated? Certainly, to some extent, there is PFAS in the aquifer. Getting it out of the aquifer is challenging. Out of people's water is a little bit easier. These are forever chemicals, as you know, but filtration is an option. Our public water supplier is installing treatment on the public water supply. Private well owners can install filtration on their private wells. Near the airport, MassDEP assisted and provided a point-of-use treatment system for homeowners. Filtration is also an option. Q: What does all of this mean for people's health? The dose is important, and getting your blood tested is a great way to assess your cumulative dose. We all know that water is only one source of PFAS to the human body, so the National Academies has some guideline values for PFAS. Advertisement They say that if you have two nanograms per milliliter of PFAS in your blood or less, you shouldn't reasonably expect to have health effects associated with PFAS. If you have two to 20, you might have some effects from PFAS, and they have found that 91 percent of Americans fall into that category. On top of that, they have a threshold of 20, where you are in kind of the elevated area. And so that's about 9 percent of Americans who really should be keeping an eye on potential health effects from PFAS. We should all expect that we have PFAS in our blood. The question is, how much for individual people? Q: It's tourist season on Nantucket. How should people feel about drinking water when they're out there? The town water in Nantucket meets the Massachusetts state standards. Massachusetts has some of the strictest PFAS regulations in the country. If you're coming from out of state, you might have PFAS in your well or in your public water supply that exceeds the Massachusetts standards. They are largely unregulated in other states. Q: You recently learned of PFAS in a new part of Nantucket — at the corner of Hummock Pond and Burnt Swamp. The levels were well above the state's standard of 20 parts per trillion. What do you know about the latest detection and the extent of the problem? A: It was 124 parts per trillion. So it's not quite as high as the highest concentrations on Tom's Way or the highest concentrations near the airport, but it is in MassDEP's uppermost threshold. We are still collecting data. MassDEP is still doing its investigation. We have a lot of voluntary samples that come in. ... So, we're getting a lot of new PFAS data, and I think the more we test, the more we're going to see detects of PFAS. Advertisement Q: And what was the source of the latest detection? A: MassDEP is still investigating this new detection, so we'll see what they find out. We've seen data that suggests probably a third of wells have PFAS on the island, at least in some concentration. Q: What's one thing you hope everyone will do? A lot of my work focuses on private wells, so I would say, follow MassDEP's recommendation and get a PFAS well test. Every well owner should do it at least once. People can pick up a PFAS test at our Health Department for $275, which is admittedly pricey, but that's probably about as cheap as you can find. Q: Any advice for people outside of Nantucket? I would say just be aware of PFAS if you are on a private well. It's not just a Nantucket problem; it is a statewide and a countrywide problem. My guess would be that a lot of private well owners might have PFAS in their wells — probably not the majority, but a substantial portion. And so, yeah, it's incredibly important to get your well tested. Sabrina Shankman can be reached at
