Results from soil analyses of athletic fields at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and the Oak Bluffs School indicate the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Eight individual PFAS concentrations were identified in two samples taken from the Oak Bluffs School, Steven LaRosa, senior technical leader at Weston & Sampson Engineering, said during an Oak Bluffs select board meeting Tuesday.
PFAS compounds were identified in soil at both schools, but through testing, it was found that soils at the Oak Bluffs School “report consistently higher PFAS concentrations than [MVRHS] soils.”
One of the chemical compounds analyzed, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), commonly found in firefighting foam, was found to be above the reporting limit — the level at which an instrument can accurately measure concentrations — in both samples. LaRosa said that analysis is “an extraordinarily accurate estimate of concentration.”
The rest of the PFAS detected from the samples fall within “estimated concentration” range, meaning that the compounds can be identified, but the concentration is too low for statistical accuracy.
All identified concentrations of PFAS substances were compared to the acceptable concentration limit set by the state, LaRosa said. The compounds are determined to be at “a safe level” for direct human contact and for groundwater protection.
A total of four soil samples were collected from the schools in July. Those samples were transferred to environmental testing laboratory Alpha Analytical for analysis. Weston & Sampson was then charged with summarizing the findings, after reviewing that analysis.
LaRosa said two samples were taken from the Oak Bluffs School property, one from the northwest corner and one from the southeast corner of the school’s active athletic field.
The study concluded that the soil sample showed the PFAS concentrations to be “consistently higher than in synthetic turf components” from the TetraTech Synthetic Turf Laboratory Testing and Analysis Summary Report in 2021.
“I believe that the data provided is accurate, and is representative of what is found in the shallow soils that were sampled,” LaRosa said during his summary.
There is not currently an EPA-approved method for analyzing PFAS samples. The study was conducted using a soil analysis method accepted by Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), LaRosa said.
He cited a study done in Vermont looking at background PFAS concentrations — the amount of the substance found in remote areas without obvious sources. He said the study identified present PFAS compounds, despite having no neighboring release. Through that study, a limit of background PFAS was set, and used to compare with other samples.
LaRosa said the findings from both the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and the Oak Bluffs School showed concentrations below that limit.
PFAS describes a family of long-lasting chemical compounds that break down at a significantly slow rate, earning the moniker “forever chemicals.”
Extended periods of exposure to PFAS or high concentrations of the chemicals are toxic, and can affect developing fetuses, thyroid, liver, kidneys, hormone levels, and the immune system. The chemicals have also been known to create a cancer risk.
The manufactured substances, found nearly everywhere in the world, have been identified in household cleaners, textiles, paint, wire insulation, firefighting foams, and various plastics. Currently, there are no federal guidelines regarding PFAS, but efforts are being made to curb the utilization of the chemicals.
In January, state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, and state Rep. Kate Hogan, D-Stow, announced their filing of “a comprehensive bill” targeting PFAS substances in the state legislature.
Following the presentation at the Oak Bluffs select board Tuesday, board chair Ryan Ruley recommended consulting with the town’s board of health.
He touched on the ongoing debate concerning potential use of synthetic turf at the high school, and noted the complexities of forming an opinion on the findings at the Oak Bluffs School, while MVRHS and the Oak Bluffs planning board are in the middle of litigation in Massachusetts Land Court.
“Given that these numbers were below the upper tolerance level [cited by] the studies out of Vermont,” select board member Emma Green-Beach said, “it means these are still lower than what’s happening in the middle of the woods [where there is no immediate source of the chemicals].”
“It’s coming down in the rain,” she said; “it’s all around us.”
Green-Beach called the discovery of the chemicals “a symptom of what’s going on with the world.”
