Alaska Community Action on Toxics says results of independent testing of water samples in Anchorage and Fairbanks show the presence of toxic PFAS chemicals linked to adverse health outcomes.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are a group of substances linked to adverse health outcomes, including liver and kidney damage, reproductive and developmental harm, immune system impairment, and certain cancers, and have been found in groundwater and public drinking water supplies in communities throughout Alaska.
ACAT staff and a group of citizen volunteers collected samples of water from 12 lakes around Anchorage and in the Fairbanks North Star Borough in October 2021. The samples, analyzed by the Cyclopure laboratory, revealed the presence of toxic PFAS chemicals, the highest being in Lake Spenard/Lake Hood, a popular recreational destination near Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
“There has been growing concern from neighbors about potential PFAS contamination in local lakes and groundwater,” said Pamela Miller, executive director of ACAT, on Monday, May 9. “We had several requests for independent testing of wells and lakes and the results were surprising.”
In Alaska, the dispersive use of PFAS-based firefighting foams known as aqueous film forming foams, or AFFF, on military bases and airports has contaminated surface and groundwater sources of drinking water throughout the state.
“The state is failing to address the problem of PFAS contamination,” said Miller. “There are bills to address PFAS languishing in the Alaska legislature right now that would help protect people from PFAS. People deserve to know where the contamination is so they can protect their families and pets,” she said. Alaska Community Action on Toxics in collaboration with the Alaska PFAS Action Coalition (APAC) are calling upon legislators to pass Senate Bill 121 and House Bill 171, companion bills that would require greater protections for communities by addressing PFAS contamination and preventing further harm. ACAT scientists and local concerned residents will present findings and address concerns.
