As the scope of chemical contamination of the water in some wells on the West Plains becomes clearer, residents in search of answers are finding that their doctors often aren’t very informed about the chemicals that may poisoning their bodies.
PFAS chemicals, known as “forever chemicals” because they linger in the environment for decades, were found in firefighting foam designed for airplane crashes. The foam was used for decades at Fairchild Air Force Base and the Spokane International Airport. In 2017, contamination was first found at Fairchild and since then testing has been done to identify which wells have been contaminated.
Last month the West Plains Water Coalition hosted a community forum called “How to Talk to Your Doctor about PFAS.”
Gail Oneal was one of the speakers at the event. The registered nurse, who holds a PhD in nursing and studied environmental health, has lived on the West Plains to the east of Hayford Road for nearly 30 years. The federal government has been testing local wells in a certain geographic area around Fairchild for free, but the boundary of the testing area is Hayford Road. Oneal said wells in her neighborhood have not been tested yet, but will be soon because of a new testing effort launched by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Some who live outside the Fairchild testing area have paid hundreds of dollars to have their wells tested, but not everyone can afford the tests. “We are in that same area where the tests are starting to come back positive,” she said.
Oneal said she had no idea why the federal government put Hayford Road as the testing boundary because if there is contamination there, it would continue to flow east past Hayford Road. “I don’t know why they stopped there,” she said.
Like many of her neighbors, Oneal doesn’t know if she has been exposed to PFAS chemicals and if so, for how long. “If contamination came into our well, there’s no way we could know,” she said.
She recommends that people who think they may have been exposed get a blood test to check their levels. In the meantime, people can use an NSF certified water filter that is designed to eliminate PFAS chemicals. “You want to get the right kind of filter,” she said. “You need to try to reduce your exposure.”
Dr. Francisco Velazquez, the health officer for the Spokane County Regional Health District, said research into PFAS chemicals and their effect on humans, animals and plants are just starting to ramp up. Certain health issues, including some types of cancers and thyroid problems, are believed to be connected to PFAS exposure but the effects of exposure aren’t certain.
“There have been a lot of correlations made, but it’s not definitive,” he said. “That’s not uncommon with environmental contaminants. We do have some associations that make sense.”
Exposure to PFAS chemicals is also thought to cause low birth weight in children and high levels of cholesterol in both adults and children. There could also be an impact on the liver enzymes. “The main metabolic organ could be impacted by the chemical,” he said. “We do have some information, but the correlation is not 100 percent. We, as providers, are learning more every day.”
Velazquez said it has become clear that many doctors aren’t familiar with PFAS chemicals and the ongoing research. He said the health district is making an effort to educate local doctors on how to care for exposed patients.
While the human body has some ability to filter out PFAS chemicals, it’s not known how much the body can remove or how quickly. Switching to a different water source and/or installing filters to eliminate the chemicals from the water is key, he said. “The bioaccumulation occurs and the metabolism is slow,” he said. “Some of them take decades to clear. The first goal should be to decrease the exposure.”
The only lab in the Spokane area that can do a blood test for PFAS exposure is Quest Diagnostics. Some health insurances may cover the cost of the test if it is ordered by a doctor. Last month Quest announced that it would offer PFAS blood tests to West Plains residents for $306.
Oneal said that if there are high levels of PFAS chemicals in a person’s blood, their doctor will likely want to do more tests to check the function of the liver, kidney and thyroid. Additional tests could be ordered based on the results of those function tests. “It will depend on each result,” she said.
It’s not yet known how constant exposure affects the body, Oneal said. “It’s really hard to determine,” she said. “It’s really hard to know what high levels mean long term.”
Many West Plains residents have questioned the impact of PFAS chemicals on fruit and vegetables irrigated with contaminated water and the effect the chemicals have on farm animals that are eaten or provide milk or eggs. That is something that is still being studied, he said. “We don’t know that for certain,” he said. “Every week there’s some new article on additional research.”
Velazquez said it appears that the contamination transfers to some plants but not others. He recommends that people garden in raised beds with fresh, clean dirt and use a different irrigation source. Vegetables should also be washed and peeled before eating, he said.
Oneal, like many West Plains residents, has a vegetable garden and also has chickens to provide eggs. She’s been trying to do her own research into the safety of eating what she grows and has switched her chickens to a clean source of water. “Some plants will hold it up and keep it from the fruits and vegetables, some will pass it through,” she said.
Much of the community forum was spent instructing people how to approach the issue with doctors that are uninformed about PFAS contamination, Oneal said, and to push for a blood test. She recommends bringing information about PFAS contamination to appointments.
“We taught them how to talk to their providers,” she said. “You might have to educate the physician. Don’t take no for an answer. If you’ve had an exposure, you need to be tested. Be informed. Be your best advocate.”
