"Hundreds of municipal water supplies throughout Michigan may have unsafe levels of an emerging, persistent chemical compound once used in nonstick surfaces. But the State of Michigan, critics contend, is using outdated measuring criteria — meaning hundreds of communities have levels of the chemical that Michigan says are safe, but other studies show may be harmful.
At issue are polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. The family of compounds was used for decades in products such as firefighting foam, carpet stain guards, nonstick pans and other surfaces, and waterproofing. They tend to not break down in nature, so they can be found in soil and groundwater many years after their usage.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on Tuesday announced that, midway through a check of municipal water suppliers across the state for PFAS, only one — the community of Parchment in Kalamazoo County — has levels above the state's health advisory limit of 70 parts per trillion. That limit mirrors one from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "
Keith Matheny reports for the Detroit Free Press August 22, 2018.
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