A West Michigan shoe company is supplying whole-house water filters to some residents affected by water contamination near Grand Rapids. Chris Hufnagel is
A West Michigan shoe company is supplying whole-house water filters to some residents affected by water contamination near Grand Rapids.
Chris Hufnagel is with Wolverine Worldwide, the company believed to be responsible for the toxic chemicals, called PFAs, that were discovered in private drinking wells.
He says the company decided to go further than single tap filters and bottled water.
“Offer every home that has come in with elevated levels above the EPA advisory for PFAs to offer them whole house filtration systems, and we're mobilizing that right now,” he said.
Hufnagel says the company decided to offer filters after listening to community feedback at a town hall meeting last month.
"We listened to their concerns about single tap filters and bottled water not being adequate for these homes," he said.
Hufnagel says about 14 homes tested above the EPA advisory for PFAs, which is 70 parts per trillion.
Brian Hartl, an epidemiologist with the Kent County Health Department, says about eight health effects are correlated with PFAs.
According to Hartl, these chemicals can cause thyroid gland malfunctions, elevated uric acid levels, high cholesterol, elevated levels of liver enzymes, hypertension during pregnancy, colitis and more.
“And there are two forms of cancer, testicular cancer and kidney cancer, all of those have been potentially associated with this exposure,” he said.
http://michiganradio.org/post/company-offering-whole-house-water-filters-families-affected-contamination
