< NJTV News Interviews Keith Cooper, Ph.D.: Is NJ doing enough to regulate harmful PFAs in drinking water? - EOHSI | EOHSI

NJTV News Interviews Keith Cooper, Ph.D.: Is NJ doing enough to regulate harmful PFAs in drinking water?

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Keith Cooper, Ph.D.

The New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute was asked by the state Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate a family of chemicals known as PFAS — starting with PFNA — when it was brought into the spotlight nearly 10 years ago after it was detected in drinking water and fish in Gloucester County.
The family of toxic chemicals known as PFAS have been linked to certain types of cancers. PFAS include PFNA, PFOS and PFOA. New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute Chair Keith Cooper says these compounds were used from the 1950s up until several years ago in the manufacturing process of Teflon. They were one of the main components of firefighting foams. They were used to treat carpets and to make clothing water resistant. The compounds were also in the packaging of popcorn and pizza boxes.
Cooper said companies discharged their waste products into sewage treatment plants without any regulations because these chemicals weren’t on anyone’s radar. That’s how PFAS got into the ground water and ultimately into drinking water.
“These compounds were basically developed assuming they were nontoxic,” said Cooper.

(Source: NJTV News – 2/22/2019)

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