PFAS Exposure Plagues Oklahoma Despite Regulation

             

STILLWATER, OK (PAR Class)- Three OSU-Tulsa graduate students have completed a ‘first of its kind’ document after Oklahoma’s PFAS Waste Act concludes the deadly chemical remains within oil and gas production.

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            Gianna Barolin, Debbie Bedingfield, and Lauren Meyer will have their guidelines published sometime in 2022 by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), the company regulating the PFAS in Oklahoma. The document is the first of its kind in the state of Oklahoma since the PFAS Waste Act was introduced in March of 2021. The document ‘General Guidance and Sampling Protocols for PFAS’ was completed for ODEQ as of December 22, 2021, nine months after the regulation was introduced.

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            PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroakyl Substances) were introduced in the 1940s as synthetic chemicals in many products like Teflon. They can cause fetal developmental issues and have links to cancer.

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             “One of the most concerning aspects of PFAS is that they are one of the most widely distributed yet least understood contaminants in the world right now,” said Lauren Meyer, one of the OSU-Tulsa graduate students.     

Over 35,000 oil and gas facilities across the United States are potentially handling PFAS with the greatest concentration in Oklahoma, Colorado and California. People living near these facilities have a high risk of being exposed to these chemicals even though the bill has been passed to regulate them.

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           “More than 120,000 facilities around the US may be exposing people to dangerous 'forever chemicals’ linked to cancer and other diseases,” according to EPA data obtained by the Guardian.

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            The trio researched the presence of PFAS in consumer products and equipment. They also researched scientific documents, EPA guidance, other state regulations and other relevant guidance’s to gather data for their research. Preventing cross-contamination while collecting air, water and soil samples to see PFAS levels. So far, less than a quarter of the states have guidelines to assist in lowering PFAS contamination.

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           The students that have created this document were awarded letters of recommendation ODEQ upon completion of their document. All three have been offered and accepted jobs in environmental health and safety after the completion of their document. These guidelines will help figure out what chemicals should not be used in sampling and explore what materials and brands to use to stay away from PFAS.

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            “PFAS are one of the largest up-and-coming chemicals of concern in the field of environmental science. Further researching the health impacts of PFAS and establishing federal guidance on PFAS sampling/remediation are some of the EPA’s highest priority projects right now,” said Meyer.