Bio Station Finds ‘Forever Chemicals’ and Pharmaceuticals in Flathead Lake Watershed
Initial testing detected PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products at testing sites in Flathead Lake and its tributaries. While the compounds tested at low concentrations, it warrants “keeping an eye on things,” Bio Station Director Jim Elser said.
By Zoë Buhrmaster
When scientists at the Flathead Lake Biological Station collected water samples to test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Flathead water basin for the first time last fall, Director Jim Elser said they hoped the results would come back negative. The station, operated by the University of Montana, had not previously tested for the chemicals in the basin due to the expensive cost of analyses, which run at around $500 per sample, Elser said.
“The hope was that we wouldn’t find anything,” Elser said. “But we did detect them, and it had pretty low concentrations.”
After the bio station waited months for lab results, the analysis came back with positive results for PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” due to their durability, as well as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Bio station scientists discovered PFAS in sampling locations in Flathead Lake, the Flathead River, the Swan River, and Stoner Creek.
There are around 15,000 different types of PFAS compounds and the synthetic chemicals, with a range of commercial applications, including to help make items resistant to water and grease in rain gear, nonstick cookware, food packaging, cable coating, and other products. Studies have shown that at higher levels the chemicals can result in heightened cholesterol, weakened immunity, and increased risk for certain types of cancer, birth defects and liver and kidney disease.
Of the 40 PFAS compounds the bio station analyzed, the scientists discovered 10. Of the 10, they found three to be above laboratory reporting limits. PFAS compounds with established thresholds for safe drinking water were well below the standards, they reported.
In a separate study, the bio station also found PPCPs in water samples from Ashley Creek, two sites in Flathead Lake, and two sites in Whitefish Lake. Safe drinking water thresholds for PPCP concentrations have not yet been established, while the ecological impacts and effects on humans and animals are still poorly understood. The bio station scientists said the detections indicate the presence of wastewater and human waste, and indicate the improper disposal of pharmaceutical and personal care products. The findings could help determine “hotspots” where sewage or septic makes its way to a waterbody.
“These data are quite preliminary and noteworthy for being worthy of follow-up, not necessarily any alarm, but we should probably keep an eye on things,” Elser said.
Elser said the bio station’s next move would be to add PFAS and PPCP compound sampling and analysis to its routine monitoring regimen. Because the data is preliminary, the scientists will need to repeat the sampling and analyses to determine that the first data set was not contaminated.
Whether the bio station will be able to repeat the test will depend on funding, Elser said. Philanthropic support funded both the PFAS and PPCP compound sampling and analysis last year.
The state listed Flathead Lake as an impaired waterbody in 1996 due to nutrient and sediment pollution, polychlorinated biphenyls, and mercury contamination. A few years ago, scientists at the bio station also discovered microplastic pollution in the lake.
Earlier this year, a state report on PFAS in fish tissue came up with negative test results in the Flathead basin. Fishing consumption advisories still recommend limited consumption of Flathead Lake fish due to traces of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls, which are synthetic chemicals with studied links to health issues.
Though Flathead Lake is still considered one of the cleanest large lakes in the world, it has taken continued efforts from the bio station and others to keep it that way, Elser said.
“I think people’s perception is the lake is pristine,” Elser said. “I think it is beautiful, but we know already it is impaired by EPA inspection levels. We know there are microplastics in the lake and pharmaceuticals. I think everyone loves the lake and it is certainly in good shape, but it is not without challenges to keep an eye on.”