PFAS chemicals are in most Mass. rivers and waterways tested in new report

The vast majority of Massachusetts rivers, ponds and other waterways that were tested for a new report detected contamination from PFAS chemicals.

The so-called “forever chemicals,” which have been linked to a number of negative health impacts ranging from decreased fertility to several cancers, were found in 87% of the 108 locations tested between 2022 and 2024.

The newreport, by MASSPIRG Education Fund, Environment Massachusetts Research and Policy Center, and Frontier Group, says PFAS was found in waterways across the state, from the Charles River and Jamaica Pond to the Connecticut, Chicopee and Hoosic Rivers in Western Massachusetts.

PFAS testing in drinking water has raised concern about exposure to the chemicals, but little has been known until now about the extent of contamination in waterways, said Deirdre Cummings, consumer program director for the MASSPIRG Education Fund.

“This is really the tip of the iceberg because we do not test all the waterways,” Cummings said. “In fact, there are many, many, many more waterways than the ones that were tested here. And we are just learning about the potential of these PFAS getting into these rivers and streams.”

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued 64 fish consumption advisories tied to PFAS.

“We often talk about PFAS levels in the context of drinking water, but this report confirms that these forever chemicals are actually far more pervasive,” said Melissa Shapiro of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance said in a statement. “Anyone who enjoys the rivers, ponds, and streams of Massachusetts may be at risk of exposure. It’s time we start thinking about PFAS as a universal and unifying water quality issue that warrants an urgent statewide response.”

PFAS is commonly used in consumer products like nonstick cookware, fast food packaging and some clothing. It often winds up in waterways through sewage discharges and a number of other pathways.

“So what we really have to do is get at the source of the problem. We have to stop using PFAS in so many processes and products,” Cummings said. “Wherever we can, where there are alternatives available and where it makes sense, we need to stop using that PFAS.”

State legislators considered several bills in the most recent legislative session that aimed to reduce PFAS exposure in Massachusetts, including prohibiting the use of the chemicals in certain consumer products and banning the spreading of dried sewage sludge on land in the state. Many other states have passed laws like that, but none have made itthrough the Massachusetts legislature yet.

“At this point, we’re definitely sort of in the the back end of the pack,” Cummings said. “And I hope this [report] serves as a wake-up call that PFAS should be number-one on the agenda to protect public health here in the commonwealth, and to get rules and regulations passed to protect our public health. I hope that’s number one as lawmakers come back in for the next session.”