Glen R. Boyd ( glen.boyd@hdrinc ) Gregory L. Pierson HDR Engineering, Inc. Ronald J. English

1. Potential Risks Associated with Leaching of Organic Contaminants and Endocrine Disruptors from Plastic Piping Materials Glen R. Boyd (glen.boyd@hdrinc.com) Gregory L. Pierson HDR Engineering, Inc. Ronald J. English Seattle Public Schools Pacific Northwest Section AWWA Vancouver, WAMay 2, 2008 500 108th Ave NE, Ste 1200Bellevue, WA 98004

2. Outline • Background • Objective • Current Knowledge & Perceptions • Typical Plastic Plumbing in Schools • Safeguards – Industry Standards • Conclusions

3. Background - Seattle Public Schools Number of students: 47,000 No. of schools & admin facilities: 102 Number of schools >40 years old: 60% (plumbed primarily with galvanized steel piping and moderately tuberculated)

4. Background - What were the Issues? • Parents inquiries in late 2003 • Unpleasant appearance of water in several older schools • Rusty water  health concern • Pb exposure • Other WQ concerns • Seattle Schools previously addressed WQ issues in 1990

5. Background - Phase 1 Testing in 2004 • Objective and Approach • Assess water quality in Seattle Public Schools • Sampled 3,000+ sources (primarily fountains) • Analyzed for Pb plus Cd, Zn, Cu, Fe, turb, color, and colif bact • Results • 19% first-draw 250-mL samples Pb >20 g/L (EPA guideline for schools) • Some fountains exhibited Pb >1000 g/L • Outcome – Seattle School Board Policy • Pb must be 10 g/L in first-draw 250-mL sample prior to service • Implement District-wide Mitigation Program

6. Background - Sources of Pb are Numerous • Old galvanized piping inlaterals, risers and service lines • End-use connective piping • 50:50 Sn:Pb solder • Brass valves & other components • Bubbler heads • Kitchen and classroom faucets

7. Background – Upgrade Plumbing Old end-use connective piping • New plastic tubing and components Overall Mitigation Program Goal – Meet School Board Policy Pb  10 g/L in all first-draw 250-mL samples

8. Background – Parents’ Concern Metal parts – release of Pb and other metals • Plastic parts – potential release of organics (e.g., EDCs and other) Water Quality Oversight Committee – Precautionary Principle Fully evaluate alternatives – prevent or minimize harm

9. Objective • Assess potential risks associated with using plastics in place of metals in schools • Review available literature • Review industry standards

10. Current Knowledge – Endocrine (Hormone) System • Hormones are synthesized and secreted by glands into blood stream • Regulation of biological processes • Function of reproductive system • Brain and nervous system • Metabolism

11. Current Knowledge – Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) • Endocrine Disruptor – an exogenous substance or mixture that alters functions of the endocrine system and consequently causes adverse health effects • Dose-Response Relationships • EDCs mimic or antagonize natural hormones • Low-dose effects – controversial • Timing of exposure is critical Trussel, R. 2001. JAWWA 93(2):58-65 WHO. 2002. Global Assessment of EDCs.

12. Current Perception – Why is the Public Increasingly Concerned? “… study examined nine pesticides … used on cornfields in the midwestern United States.” “Larvae were treated by immersion with 0.1 ppb each atrazine, S-metolachlor, alachlor, nicosulfuron, cyfluthrin, -cyhalothrin, tebupirimphos, metalaxyl, or propiconizole.” “Seventy percent of the animals exposed to the nine-compound mixture were unable to sit upright.” T.B. Hayes et al. 2006. Env. Health Perspect, Vol. 114, S-1, Apr.

13. Current Perception – Why is the Public Increasingly Concerned? Meds lurk in drinking water AP probe found traces of meds in water supplies of 41 million Americans Associated Press – March 9, 2008 “A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows….” Ref: Env. Health Persp., Oct 2000.

14. Current Perception – Why is the Public Increasingly Concerned? Containers made with bisphenol A chemical linked to health risks Associated Press – April 18, 2008 “Hard-plastic Nalgene water bottles made with bisphenol A will be pulled from stores over the next few months because of growing consumer concern over whether the chemical poses a health risk.” Nalgene to phase out hard-plastic bottles

15. Typical Plastic Plumbing - Seattle Public Schools

16. Plastic Materials – Polymeric Chains • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) • Polyethylene (PE) • Polypropylene (PP) Ref: www.wikipedia.org

17. Common Chemical Additives – Manufacturing of Plastics • Phthalates – plasticizers improve flexibility, workability, softness, and elongation properties • Di-(2-ethlyhexyl)-phthalates (DEHP) • Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) • Phenolics – stabilizer or antioxidant for material durability Bisphenol A • Organotins – heat and UV-oxidation resistance stabilizers used in rigid and flexible PVC and other plastics Dibutyltin Dimethyltin R2SnX2 Ref: www.lineone.net

18. Leaching of Chemical Additives in Drinking Water WHO (2003) – World Health Organization; Hu et al (2002) Environ Sci Technol; Sadiki et al (1996; 1999) Chemosphere.

19. Safeguards – Industry Standards • NSF/ANSI Standards and Certification Program – applies to all direct and indirect drinking water additives NSF International (lead), AwwaRF, ASDWA, CSHEM, and AWWA • NSF Standard 61 Minimum health effects requirements for chemical contaminants indirectly imparted from materials used in drinking water systems

20. Safeguards – Industry Standards Table 2 - Material-specific Analyses  Based on Table 3.1 – Material-specific analyses, NSF/ANSI 61-2003e, page 7.

21. Safeguards – Industry Standards Table 5 - NSF International drinking water criteria (not externally peer reviewed) Derived from Table E1, NSF/ANSI Standard 61-2003e, page E3. • New products must satisfy “risk assessment” based criteria (NSF/ANSI Standard 61-2003e) as summarized in Table 5.

22. Expert Opinion • National Academy of Sciences, Water Science and Technology Board – Public Water Supply Distribution Systems: Assessing and Reducing Risks (2005) • “A committee … will conduct a study of water quality issues associated with public water supply distribution systems and their potential risks to consumers.” • “The study will consider …… cross connections and backflow, pressure transients, nitrification, permeation and leaching, repair and replacement of water mains, aging infrastructure, and microbial growth.” • “… it is currently believed that leaching is a relatively low priority relative to other distribution system problems.” http://www4.nas.edu/webcr.nsf/ProjectScopeDisplay/WSTB-U-04-06-A?OpenDocument http://www.nap.edu/books/0309096286/html/R1.html

23. Additional Information Glen Boyd HDR Engineering, Inc. Bellevue, WA 425-450-6391 glen.boyd@hdrinc.com