4/7/24: Site 2 Belabula River at Burnt Yards Road bridge. EPA Investigation Tests.
Three samples taken:
Site 1 – Foam/Water mixture supplied in an esky by a community member.
PFHxS 0.089ug/L, PFOS 36ug/L, PFOA 0.052ug/L
Site 1 – Belabula River at the location at which the community member said they had collected the foam in an esky. This location is just upstream of where the Cadiangullung Creek flows into the Belabula River.
PFHxS 0.003ug/L, PFOS 0.071ug/L, PFOA 0.008ug/L
Site 2 – Upstream on the Belabula River at Burnt Yards Rd bridge, Mandurama. This is about 18km of site 1
PFHxS 0.0043ug/L, PFOS 0.013ug/L, PFOA 0.0008ug/L
PFOS ‘forever chemical’ confirmed by environmental pollution regulator in Belubula River (October 22 2024, Micaela Hambrett)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-22/pfos-found-at-campsite-belubula-river-by-nsw-epa/104468976
In short:
The NSW pollution watchdog says perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has been found at a stretch of the Belubula River near Blayney, NSW.
Foam samples from a popular swimming spot on the river contained levels of PFOS 22,000 times the national drinking water limit.
What’s next?
The state’s Environment Protection Authority says it will test the river’s sediment and soil in the coming months.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has confirmed the presence of “forever chemicals” along a 40-kilometre stretch of a central west NSW river.
Reports from the regulator have found perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the Belubula River near Blayney at levels toxic to the environment.
It was also found to be on and below the safe limit for human consumption.
The chemical’s water and flame-resistant qualities have made it useful across a range of industries.
The EPA’s confirmation came after the National Health and Medical Research Council, whose research sets guidelines for public health, announced it would be proposing drastic reductions to drinking water guidelines for three of the most insidious perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (known collectively as PFAS), including PFOS, on Monday.
The EPA said it was still investigating the source of the PFOS near Blayney but it did not necessarily mean there was a health risk.
In a statement, the authority said it was continuing a water monitoring program in the upper Belubula River catchment.
What is safe?
Chemicals in the PFAS group are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they are highly mobile and accumulate in the environment and human and animal tissue.
They have been used in products ranging from food packaging to firefighting foam.
Studies have indicated prolonged exposure is associated with cancer and other immune disorders.
However, the relationship between PFAS exposure and human health is not settled among scientists and public health experts.
Globally, authorities are cracking down on safe exposure limits, with America recently declaring there is no safe limit for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water.
The European Union has introduced a meat residue limit for imported produce.
Australian authorities have faced recent criticism from pollution experts for not moving fast enough on safe thresholds, although Monday’s draft guidelines take safe drinking water levels from 70 nanograms per litre down to just four.
The new guidelines are open for public submissions, which will close on November 22.
From July next year, the federal government will ban the use of PFAS variants, including PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS).
EPA testing samples
The EPA started testing in May in response to community concerns about foam in the Belubula River earlier this year.
July’s testing looked at two sample locations.
Results showed PFAS was detected, including PFOS, PFHxS and PFOA, but not at concentrations expected for a foam based on these chemicals.
The EPA said the testing showed the presence of non anionic and cationic surfactants confirmed the foam was probably coming from some “other source” containing a mixture of surfactants.
Further testing in August expanded to include 16 sites across the Belubula catchment, which were selected for their proximity to potential contamination sites.
“Land use in the Belubula River catchment … also contains some industry, including quarries, a decommissioned abattoir, Blayney Sewage Treatment Plant, the Newmont Cadia gold mine, Blayney landfill and a composting and waste storage facility,” the report stated.
The August testingfound PFOS exceeded ecological guidelines in 11 of the 16 samples, meaning the chemical was present at levels toxic to 99 per cent of aquatic species.
It also showed that PFOS concentrations were lower in the August samples than those recorded in May and July, where water flowing through camping spot Bakers Shaft was just below the safe limit for human exposure.
The watchdog has only tested surface water in the Belubula, saying foam’s tendency to concentrate chemicals from the surrounding water made it an inappropriate indication of river health.
However, both EPA reports stated contact with the foam was to be avoided.
“We have published the results on our website and shared those results with Blaney Shire Council, local industry and community key stakeholders,” an EPA spokesperson said in a statement.
Blayney Council declined to be interviewed but told the ABC it was continuing to liaise with the EPA.
‘Serious crisis’
The popular Bakers Shaft Reserve camping spot sits on a picturesque bend of the Belubula River, near Mandurama, where campers routinely paddle and pan for gold.
While EPA results have so far revealed only modest elevations in the water at Baker’s Shaft, University of Western Sydney Associate Professor Ian Wright’s samples tell a different story.
He said that was because he was testing “the whole system”, including sediment along the river bank and foam that snagged between rocks and collected in the shallows.
“The EPA urgently needs to do a spatial study of the entire river,” Dr Wright said.
“The Belubula River is in a serious crisis.”
Dr Wright said he launched an independent pollution study of the river due to a “special interest” in its high conservation value and community concerns over its water quality.
“It has Murray cod, it’s one of the last known habitats for platypus for a western flowing river and it flows into the Lachlan River,” Dr Wright said.
He found foam at Bakers Shaft contained PFOS at 22,000 times the current Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and 800 times the recreational water limit.
Recreational water limits are set lower than drinking water limits as “people typically swallow less recreational water”, according to the National Health and Medical Research Council’s website.
Dr Wright’s surface water testing in the Belubula did not exceed the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
He said his study included sediment sampling because contaminated sediment or soil could indicate long-term pollution exposure.
PFOS levels found in Bakers Shaft sediment were 11,000 times the national drinking guidelines but sat below the recreational water threshold.
Australia has no guidelines for PFAS levels found in sediment or foam. Recreational water quality guidelines are currently under review, with public consultation due in mid-2025.
The National Health and Medical Research Council told the ABC that PFAS values for sediment and foam were out of its research scope, however, impacts to water quality by either contaminated foam or sediment “may be considered”.
“The levels here are worrying. They’re worrying for wildlife, for people,” Dr Wright said.
Testing continues
The EPA has said it would test river sediment and soil in the coming months and would keep the community abreast of any developments.
“It is not yet possible to draw conclusions or determine the PFAS source,” a spokesperson said.
“We are aware there are multiple potential sources within the catchment and further sampling is required.”
The EPA has shared the results of its sampling in the region with the NSW PFAS Technical Advisory Group for advice.