Residents in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., like Peter Gagnon and Rick Gartshore, are worried about potential health risks posed by chemical contamination in the St. Marys River. The concern stems from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) leaching into the water from the city’s Pointe Des Chênes area. PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are a group of more than 10,000 synthetic compounds that are highly resilient to environmental breakdown.
Studies have linked exposure to certain PFAS with various health issues, including reproductive, developmental, and immunological effects. Moreover, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified one type of PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), as potentially carcinogenic.
The contamination issue is not unique to Sault Ste. Marie. Airports across Canada, including the one in North Bay, have a history of using PFAS-containing foams in firefighter training exercises. These chemicals have seeped into the groundwater over time, causing concerns like those in Sault Ste. Marie.
In Sault Ste. Marie, Transport Canada’s firefighter training site at the airport has been a focus of contamination worries since 1964. Benzene, a component used in firefighting exercises, was detected in the water supply near the airport in 2008. Subsequent monitoring revealed the presence of PFAS in the well and surrounding groundwater.
Private wells near the airport have also been affected, with some homes showing PFAS levels well above the recommended guidelines. Transport Canada has taken measures to address the issue by installing filtration systems where necessary.
While the City of Sault Ste. Marie reassures the safety of its municipal drinking water system, concerns about PFAS exposure persist among residents like Gagnon and Gartshore. They believe that addressing local contamination issues is part of a larger global challenge posed by the accumulation of PFAS in the environment and everyday products.