Minnesota Department of Health: Contaminants of Emerging Concern - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS

Minnesota Department of Health: Contaminants of Emerging Concern Initiative

Presented by: Fatou Barry (Health Department Urban Scholar, Karly Oak (Health Department Urban Scholar, Laura Garcia Pimentel (PW- Surface Water and Sewers Urban Scholar)

What are Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC)?

• Substances that have not been evaluated to determine the

amount that is safe for drinking, if they pose a threat, or have new or changing health or exposure information (Minnesota

• Dept. of Health)

○ Includes chemicals, medicines, personal/household produce, lawn care, and agricultural products

• They may harm humans who come in contact with them and

can impact surface water and groundwater ○ Ex: drinking water, lakes, aquifers and rivers

Why do we study CEC?

Found that many CEC are endocrine disruptors Old chemicals are being used in new ways Industry and individuals are using new chemicals in a variety of products and applications Improved research methods allow us to look for new chemicals at lower levels than previously possible

Examples of CEC

Other Chemicals

• Industrial chemicals
• Manufacturing chemicals

Pharmaceuticals

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Pain relievers

Household Products

• Acetone (Sally Hansen)
• Nail Polish Remover
• Ethylene Glycol (Prestone)
• Antifreeze/ Coolant for Cars

Lawn Care & Agricultural Chemicals

• Glyphosate (Roundup for Lawns)
• Outdoor pesticide

Microplastics

• Microfibers
• Microbeads

Microplastics

• MPs are two types of particles ranging from:

○ 0.1 - 5 millimeters (mm)

■ Primary - manufactured (e.g, microbeads and industrial abrasives) ■ Secondary - Breakdown from larger plastic products

• Microplastics weather over time and they leach out plastic

compounds into the environment ○ Could disrupt the endocrine system

• Lake Hiawatha Trash Study in 2019

What is being done about MPs

• Continuing research to sample and analyze

microplastics

• Pollution prevention efforts
• Public education to reduce, recycle, and reuse

larger forms of plastics

How MPs Enter the Environment

Household products such as shower curtains and utensils

Fibers released into drains and sewage from clothing and textiles

Tires, surface runoff and agricultural plastics

Degraded plastic waste from products flushed down toilets and sinks

Wastewater and sewage overflows

Single-use plastic items like plastic bottles and caps, straws, bags, cups, trash bags, wraps, containers, disposable diapers, etc

Ways to Reduce CEC from Environment

• Participate in prescription drug take back programs
• Disposal of lawn care (indoor/outdoor pesticide) and household

products

• Use pesticides only when needed and not before a rain event
• Use organic lawn care product
• Install a rain barrel to collect water during rainfall
• Install native MN plants on your lawns

How to Dispose of Common CEC

M e d i c i n e D r

• p
• f

f Hennepin Hazardous Waste Drop Off and Transfer Station South Hennepin Recycling and Problem Waste Drop-off Center

Nominating a CEC

Minneapolis residents are encouraged to nominate contaminants

Step 1

Go to the MDH Nomination Portal and nominate the possible contaminant MDH determines if the nomination is a contaminant of emerging concern

Step 2

Then, the contaminant is put through toxicological and MDH staff review

Step 3

If the contaminant is eligible then it can be placed under health guidance by MDH

Step 4 Credit to Diana Nguyen; 2019 Urban Scholar; modified image

MDH Video on Nomination Process

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Grant Proposal

• Focused on increasing knowledge and understanding of

contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in drinking water

• Reducing the release of Contaminants
• Funds outreach programs and activities related to

Contaminants

• Funds research to identify and evaluate Minnesotans’

knowledge and attitudes of Contaminants

Goals of the Grant

• Increasing public knowledge of:
• The health effects of CEC
• Where CEC come from and how they enter

environments

• How personal actions contribute to the release of CEC
• How personal actions can reduce exposure to CEC

CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS

Minneapolis Health Department Grant Elements

Element 1: Transient Non-Community Water System (TNCWS)

• Goal: Understand why people are selecting

TNCWS wells as their drinking water over tap and inform about other options

• Learning about well use for intended purposes vs

regular source of water

• Surveys, educational materials, and outreach
• pportunities.

Element 2: Green Zones Education and Outreach

• Partnership between the MHD and the Public

Works Department -- SWS

• Takes place in the South and North Side City Green

Zone

• Spread awareness on contaminants of emerging

concern

• Provide resources and identify needs and concerns

related to water and CEC

Other Citywide Drinking Initiatives: Lead and Healthy Homes

• The city has many preventative measures in place to ensure the

Minneapolis drinking water is lead free, or within the legal limit

• The use of orthophosphate in the water treatment process

reduces the chance of corrosion of the pipes

• Mineral build up also reduces corrosion
• Lead is often released when there is a disturbance in the

service lines

• The city tests sites where service lines break and or are

damaged

Additional Info on MDH Lead CEC

Drinking Water Lead Testing Sites

• MDH accredited several laboratories to conduct lead

testing of water

• To find these labs go to MDH’s search query
• Click Custom Search
• In the Analyte menu select “lead”
• Click “accepts samples from private homeowners”

Lead & Housing

• Primary concern in Minneapolis is lead

in the homes, specifically lead-based paints

• 95% of elevated levels of lead are

caused by paint dust

• Peeling or damaged lead paint
• Lead dust can be released and

settles where it can be breathed in

• r ingested by children.
• Consumer products - cookware and

some vinyl toys

Other Citywide Drinking Initiatives: The Healthy Living Team

Rethink Your Drink

• Conducting surveys and

engaging with community members regarding perceptions of tap water

• Attended 41 community

events to collect data

Healthy Living Team Continued

Hydration Stations

• Providing funding to

install new water fountains

• Provides 250 water

bottles to schools

• Focused on education on

the importance of water

Contacts

Markeeta Keyes- Environmental Programs

• markeeta.keyes@minneapolismn.gov

Jenni Lansing- Environmental Programs

• jenni.lansing@minneapolismn.gov

Alexander Vollmer - Lead and Healthy Homes

• Alexander.Vollmer@minneapolismn.gov

Moriah Maternoski - Hydration Stations Info

• moriah.maternoski@minneapolismn.gov

Kristen Kingler - Rethink Your Drink Initiative

• kristen.kingler@minneapolismn.gov

George Kraynick- Water Treatment Manager

• george.kraynick@minneapolismn.gov

Action Plan

• Feedback survey on the presentation
• Best way to deliver/spread message to the

greater community

• Are you interested in sitting on a committee?
• Are there events/convenings that we can reach
• ut to the community?