University of Maryland Extension - Water Quality

Stormwater Management– May 21, 2025
Stormwater runoff originates during precipitation events when water flows over the ground. Hard surfaces such as streets and rooftops increase runoff by preventing water from soaking into the ground. Water running over these hard surfaces can pick up sediment, chemicals, debris, and toxins which are carried to local streams. These pollutants prevent waterways from being fishable and swimmable. Learn about ways to manage stormwater at your home and community. Guest speaker: Amanda Rockler, UME Watershed Specialist.
Click link below to register: https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUufu6hpz0qEtczskkgyNmip5p0OZURIjPM #/registration

University of Maryland Extension
Watershed Stewards Academy

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Urban Stormwater Management. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Urban Stormwater Management. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Microplastics Increasingly Found in Human Tissue
Plastic production and use may be the most recognized example of a human invention intended for good and convenience, has proven to be so prevalent in, and detrimental to, global ecosystems and life. Numerous studies are showing that microplastics and nanoplastics are found in air, water, soil and subsequently plants and animals (including our foods), and in humans. This ervasiveness and ubiquitousness of plastic has given rise to the term “Plasticene” emphasizing the scope of pollution as well as the age we are and will be dealing with this contamination.
Reducing exposure to plastics is difficult since we inhale, ingest and are in direct contact with a variety of plastic products and as they break down to microplastics and nanoplastics. Highlighting the extent of human exposure is recent research that shows nanoplastics being found in numerous organs including the lungs, small and large intestine, liver, spleen tonsils. One study reported that we have up to 1 teaspoon of plastic in our brains. Another recent study showed that plastics are even found in reproductive organs including ovarian follicular fluid, the fluid that surrounds eggs. This presence may be correlated to impact on human fertility issues. Other known human health impacts form plastics include gut microflora changes, cell oxidative stress, inflammation, immune dysfunction, neurotoxicity, metabolism issues, and potential for
elevated cancer risks.
Despite its prevalence, there are things we can do to reduce our exposure. Bottled water and plastic tea bags have been shown to be significant sources of ingestion. Drinking filtered tap water or water from other containers (glass, aluminum, stainless steel) can be one way to reduce exposure. Clothing and other fabrics are another major source of microplastics to the environment. Choosing natural fibers could help reduce the load to surface and ground waters and air. For more information on microplastics
and our exposure see:
https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/microplastics-and-
nanoplastics-
foods #:~:text=If%20the%20FDA%20determines%20that,remaining%20on%2C%20the
%20U.S.%20market and https://iee.psu.edu/news/blog/microplastics-sources-health-
risks-and-how-protect-yourself.

University of Maryland Extension

Maryland Drinking Water Infrastructure is Designated a Grade of “C”
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Maryland’s drinking water infrastructure earn a C grade. The infrastructure involved includes systems that collect, treat, store and distribute drinking water. Piping and pump stations are often those that experience the most needed repairs. For example, it is reported that within the Baltimore area of over 4,500 miles of pipe exist and an average of 1,000 piping breaks occur annually. All of these repairs, upgrades to treatment, etc. are expensive and though federal funds have helped in recent years, future support is in question. In 2015 EPA’s conducted their 2015 Drinking Water Needs Survey, and estimated that Maryland needs about $9.3 billion in drinking water infrastructure over the next 20 years.
The ASCE report (https://infrastructurereportcard.org/) suggests the following recommendations to move forward with improving the drinking water infrastructure:
 “Continue progress toward full compliance with state and federal regulations.
 Garner public support for projects through public awareness campaigns.
 Increase funding at all levels, specifically to address aging infrastructure and for smaller systems
 Provide additional training and educational opportunities for professions within the drinking water industry, focusing on compliance and contaminant challenges unique to Maryland, and to train the next generation of water operators.
 Include the integration of land development with water supply planning across multiple jurisdictions.
 Revise monitoring regulations for well contaminant testing. The impact of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water quality and supply is not yet fully understood. Future studies in this area will yield important information”.
Not in Maryland? Check out your state’s drinking water infrastructure grade:
https://infrastructurereportcard.org/.

University of Maryland Extension
Watershed Stewards Academy

Common lithium-ion Batteries Source of PFAS Compounds

From laptops to phones to hand/yard tools and EV’s, we are an electrified society. The lithium-ion battery is the go-to power choice for these devices. Yet only about 5% of them are recycled! The remainder degrade in landfills and can eventually leach out a variety of potentially toxic chemicals contaminating soil and groundwater. Recent research has shown that a class of PFAS known as bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides (bis-FASIs) can leach out from batteries. These studies have found this compound in a variety of settings including surface and groundwater, air, and soils. Concentrations found in surface waters were in the parts per billion range, significantly greater than EPA’s maximum levels for similar PFAS compounds in the parts per trillion. At this point, there is little information on the toxicity of bis-FASIs to humans. In the case of drinking water, the good news is that it has been shown that existing filtration devices, Ion exchange and granulated activated carbon, are effective at removal.
Recycling lithium-ion batteries is currently complex and expensive. Unlike that of lead acid batteries where 99% are recycled due to the many decades of improving the process and establishing a network for recycling, lithium-ion recycling is relatively new and inefficient. The good news is that there are numerous studies looking into improving this efficiency. In the meantime, what should we do with spent batteries to reduce PFAs and other contamination? The EPA suggests that you recycle these batteries at a certified electronics battery recycler. For more information see:
https://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics/certified-electronics-recyclers.

The Good and so not so Good of Chlorine Treated Drinking Water
The use of chlorine in disinfecting public drinking water has been a significant advance in public health by providing safe drinking water. Chlorine is effective in killing both bacteria and viruses that cause disease in humans including cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and others. However, there are some potential issues of concern when using chlorine as a disinfectant. Chlorine reacts with organic matter in water and forms chlorine by-products. which may pose potential health risks including cancer and reproductive and developmental risk.
The most common by-products are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Trihalomethane compounds include bromoform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane and
chloroform. Haloacetic acids include several bromo and chloro acetic acid compounds. The concentration of these contaminants can vary with season, water temperature, amount of chlorine added, and presence of organic matter in water supplies. Utilities using surface water sources will tend to have greater concentration of organic matter compared to ground water sources, therefore may be at greater risk of chlorine by products.
The US EPA regulates chlorine use in public water and has a maximum contaminant level for chorine of 4 parts per million. In addition, EPA has evolved regulation of THMs over the last several decades reducing the maximum level to 0.08 parts per million. If you are on public water, you should be receiving information on the annual Consumer Confidence Report (https://www.epa.gov/ccr), which will provide a summary of water quality testing results including chlorine by products.
Homeowners may choose to provide additional filtration to reduce chlorine taste, chlorine by products and other contaminants of concern such as PFAS, by installing either a reverse osmosis (RO) or activated carbon filter on their drinking and cooking water supply. These filters can be installed under the kitchen sink. It is important to buy a filter that has been certified by a third party https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/home-drinking-water-filtration-fact-sheet) that verifies treatment claims on the product label. As with any type of filter, it is important to conduct the recommended maintenance to ensure optimum removal of contaminants. Failure to not maintain the filter can increase exposure to contamination.

US EPA We've made some changes to EPA.gov. If the information you are looking for is not here, you may be able to find it on the EPA Web Archive or the January 19, 2017 Web Snapshot.

Got PFAS? Unfortunately, We All Do!

PFAS contamination is truly a global environmental and public health issue. Along with microplastic pollution, there has not been a global contamination crisis like this. PFAS compounds been dubbed the “forever chemicals” due to their hard to breakdown carbon-fluorine bonds, and therefore extraordinary persistence in the environment. In addition, with possibly 15,000 of these chemicals and their use in hundreds of products, they are essentially also
“everywhere”. Research has shown 98% of us have PFAS in our blood, and it is found in many organs also. Major sources include Industrial sites, airports, wastewater treatment plants, but humans are exposed to PFAS in many other ways including clothing, dust, water, soils and the foods we eat. The use of wastewater treatment biosolids contaminates our farm soils, which then is transferred to crops, both plants and animals, and dairy products. Drinking water can also be a significant source of PFAS to people.
In regulating public drinking water supplies, the US EPA (https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas) has proposed to reduce the recommended level of the two main PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to 4ppt and also address several other major PFAS compounds. This is a very important step in protecting the majority of drinking water supply for America. Existing filtration systems (activated carbon, ion
exchange and reverse osmosis) will need to be expanded at treatment plants, and this will come at a large expense. There are efforts to hold the manufacturers of PFAS responsible for these
costs. That may be a reasonable approach. However, many questions remain. How long will that litigation take? Will it cover the added filtration costs? With extensive research showing the
significant human health risks – cancers, hormonal changes, thyroid disruption, should we wait for litigation or does quality drinking water come first? Do Americans value clean and safe water
enough to be willing to pay more for safe water? Will the new EPA limits be implemented?
This is just a glimpse of the many questions on PFAS and our health. We are going to be dealing with PFAS possibly for hundreds of years, and it is important to be aware of potential sources of exposure, whether in products we buy, the foods we eat and our drinking water.
Contact your water supplier about what efforts they are making to reduce PFAS and ask specifically about the levels that are in the treated water. If you are concerned about PFAS in your water, you can consider a point-of-use filter for drinking and cooking purposes. These include a reverse osmosis (RO) or activate carbon filter which can be installed under the sink.
Note that a RO filter has been shown to remove many of both the long and short chain PFAS compounds. Some refrigerator or counter filters may not remove PFAS effectively and therefore
it is important to read the label description on contaminant removal effectiveness. As with any filter, be sure to purchase a third-party certified filter. For more information on PFAS and water
filtration see:https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/water-filter-fact-sheet.pdf

University of Maryland Extension
Watershed Stewards Academy

Home Water Check Up

Maintaining your home and the various appliances helps them last saving you money, but also can be of benefit to your health. You might first think of your air conditioner/heating system, and then your refrigerator or vacuum cleaner needing maintenance such as filter changes, but your water supply and filtration systems needs attention too. In fact, your water quality is very important to your health, so why not use the beginning of the New Year to do a water supply tune up!
Depending on your supply (public or private well), tune up procedures will vary. For public water supplies, which go through extensive testing and treatment (check out your annual Consumer
Confidence Report that your water utility provides to customers: https://www.epa.gov/ccr), there may be little to do unless you use some type of filtration – faucet, pitcher, and refrigerator or under the sink filter. With these, simply be sure to change the filters as recommended by the manufacturer. As with any filter, they have to be changed regularly to function effectively. Not changing them can lead not only to reduction in performance and potentially lifespan, but also contaminants can no longer be trapped
and are released. Water filters in particular, can potentially actually build up bacteria if filters are not changed as recommended. If you have a whole house or faucet filtration system, be sure to follow the
manufacturers’ recommended maintenance schedule.
If you are on a drinking water well, have your water tested annually for coliform bacteria, E.coli and nitrate (animal waste and sewage contaminants), and every three years test for chloride, copper, iron,
lead, manganese, pH, sulfates, and total dissolved solids. If there are known local sources of contaminants such as arsenic or radium (local health departments are a good resource), you can test for
these also.
So for peace of mind follow these simple water tune up practices to ensure good drinking water quality.

University of Maryland Extension

New Study Shows Roads contaminate Stormwater with Microplastics

Tires have been shown to be the second largest source (behind fabrics) of microplastics to our streams, rivers and oceans. This is due to tires being comprised of about 24% synthetic rubber,
which is a plastic polymer. As tires wear, these very small plastic particles are released and can be washed away in stormwater or enter the air as dust. Now, a new study (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389424030747) shows that the road construction materials themselves, are a source of microplastic contaminations. Concrete and asphalt are the two most common materials used for roads, parking lots and driveways. In addition, some cases rubber pavers may be used for driveways. The addition of plastic in the binding agents for asphalt has been thought to be a sustainable practice, however this new
study is pointing to the wear and breakdown of rads materials as source of microplastic pollution. The study shows that stormwater from asphalt roads had the greatest concentration of microplastic particles (600 particles per liter of stormwater) followed by concrete and then rubber) rubber pavers at 216 and 115 particles per liter. Polyester and rayon were the main types of plastics found in stormwater form the asphalt and concrete pavement, and the rubber pavers contained many more types of plastics.
The degree of plastic release from road materials will vary depending on several factors including traffic type and level and temperature extremes. An important conclusion of this study
is the confirmation that both tires and road material are a source of microplastic pollution.
Furthermore, it suggests that the use of plastics in road construction materials should be reevaluated with more sustainable options considered.

Practice Smart Salting this Winter!

Deicing salts are an effective tool to provide safer roads, parking lots/driveways and sidewalks during snow and ice storms. However, salt causes harmful environmental impacts including reduced aquatic habitat quality, changes in soil chemistry, and contamination of groundwater and drinking water quality. Unfortunately, salt does not go away, rather accumulates over time.
Therefore, adopting smart use practices is the major management and remediation strategy. All of us can do our part!

University of Maryland Extension
Watershed Stewards Academy

Chlorine By-Products in Drinking Water: Balancing Safety and Risks
Chlorine is a key tool in modern drinking water treatment, providing a reliable and cost-effective method to disinfect drinking water. However, when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring
organic matter in water sources, it forms chemical compounds known as disinfection by-products (DBPs). The most common DBPs are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs).
The health implications of DBPs in drinking water have been researched for a number of years. This research has shown that long-term exposure to elevated levels of DBPs, mainly THMs, is
associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, such as bladder cancer. Some studies have also linked DBPs to potential reproductive and developmental effects, such as low birth
weight, preterm delivery, and an increased risk of miscarriage. Although the concentrations of DBPs in drinking water are typically well below regulatory limits, the cumulative exposure over a
lifetime raises concerns about their impact on public health.
To reduce these risks, drinking water treatment facilities apply measures to control the formation of DBPs while maintaining effective disinfection. These measures include optimizing chlorine
dosages, pre-treating water to remove organic matter, and utilizing alternative disinfectants like ozone or ultraviolet (UV) light. Additionally, advanced filtration technologies, such as granular
activated carbon, can help remove precursors to DBPs. These control strategies strive to balance DBPs and ensure water quality is safe from microbial contaminants.
For those who are concerned about DBPs in their tap water, the annual Consumer Confidence Report provided by the water utility provides water quality testing data. In addition, home filtration systems, such as activated carbon filters, can provide additional treatment to reduce concentrations of these by-products, and can remove the chlorine taste that may be present.

University of Maryland Extension

The Growing Movement to Ban PFAS Compounds: What You Need to Know

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been termed “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment, ubiquitousness in the environment and presence in the human body. These synthetic compounds are found in a wide range of everyday products, from non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing to food packaging, and have been transferred or taken up by many of our food products. The health risks they pose are alarming with studies linking PFAS exposure to serious health issues, including cancer, liver damage, and developmental problems in children. As awareness of these dangers grows, states across the U.S. are taking action to restrict or ban their use to protect public health and the environment.
Several states, including California, Maine, Minesota and Washington, have already enacted or proposed bans on PFAS in specific products, such as firefighting foam and food packaging.
These laws aim to limit exposure and encourage companies to adopt safer alternatives. Maine, for instance, passed one of the most comprehensive PFAS bans, requiring manufacturers to
report the use of these chemicals and phasing them out by 2030 unless deemed essential.
California recently prohibited PFAS in cosmetics and textiles, recognizing the risk posed by everyday exposure. These efforts reflect a growing consensus that the long-term costs of PFAS
contamination outweigh their short-term benefits.

This state-led push underscores the importance of proactive environmental policies, but there’s still much work to be done. While some states are leading the charge, others lag behind, leaving millions of Americans potentially exposed to these harmful substances. Federal action may be required to standardize protections nationwide. Until then, it’s crucial for consumers to stay
informed and advocate for safer, PFAS-free products (see: https://pfascentral.org/pfas-free-
products/).

Care for a cup of tea - or microplastics?

With plastics in hundreds of products we use daily, it is no wonder that we are being exposed to plastics and the various compounds used to produce them. As plastics break down into microplastics and smaller particles called nanoplastics, they are being found almost everywhere – in the air, soil, rivers, oceans, groundwater, food and in many of our body organs. Bottled water is known to be a source of microplastic contamination and recent research shows that we can consume up to 240,000 plastic particles per bottle. Now, another research study https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b02540) is showing that our second most popular drink, tea, is another source of contamination due to the plastic bag material of the plastic sealant used to seal the bags. In fact, the study showed that plastic teabags
are even a far greater source of contamination in comparison to other foods and beverages, up to several billion particles per cup! As we brew tea with plastic material in the bag, the heat increases the release of microscopic plastic particles. This news presents quite a shock to tea drinkers who think they are taking advantage of the health benefits of tea. No need to stop drinking tea, however. Being aware of the type of tea bag used is key. Looking for paper tea bags that are sealed with a staple instead of a plastic seam is one approach. Contact your favorite tea brand and ask about the bag material. There are a number of brands that tout plastic free bags online and hopefully more companies will follow. Check these out and enjoy that cup of tea!

University of Maryland Extension
Watershed Stewards Academy