PFAS – Health Support Service

Health support for residents with elevated drinking-water results (revised 10 February2018) Ministry of Health officials propose the following health support for residents with elevated drinkingwater results.

Defence support for residents • Residents provided with their water sample results by Defence and provided a package of information (including another copy of the factsheet); • Residents encouraged to use alternative water until a long term supply of drinking-water is provided; • All wells that test positive will be re-sampled in February, April and July/August (because of seasonal variability) and in new sites (as plume modelling has extended some boundaries for investigation); a longer term sampling plan is being prepared (we have requested a copy of the proposed sampling plan from Defence and will provide this when received. Regional Councils may establish their own sampling and monitoring programmes).

Health support available • FAQs for residents whose water sample results exceeded the interim guidance level or who have PFOS and/or PFOA detected in their drinking-water supply: sent to Homecare Medical and available on MfE’s website at https://www.mfe.govt.nz/more/hazards/hazardoussubstances/pfas.

This is linked from the Ministry of Health website http://www.health.govt.nz/news-media/news-items/health-working-defence-legacy-fire-fightingfoam-chemicals.

• Residents are provided with the Healthline number during the Defence visits. Residents whose water sampling results are near or exceed the interim drinking-water guidance level, are given contact details to make an appointment with the medical officer of health if they have health concerns about their exposure.

• If the Medical Officer of Health considers an affected resident would benefit from a medical check, he can provide the resident with a voucher to visit their GP for a general medical exam. o print off a voucher, add a unique voucher number (MidCentral use code MCDHBxxx and NelsonMarlborough use NMDHBxxx) and provide one voucher to each client. o obtain the GP’s contact details and provide this, the clients’ name, and the voucher number to sally_gilbert@moh.govt.nz o call the GP to let them know their patient will be making an appointment, explain the process for recovering the costs of the appointment, and answer any general questions. o send the GP the information sheet and summary sheet, the serum PFAS testing fact sheet.

Depending on their interest/concern, the Medical Officer of Health may offer to have Deborah call them (if so, please advise Deborah of the GP’s name and phone number.)

• Medical practitioner undertakes a full general medical examination and may agree to a blood test if required for the patient's mental health and wellness following a comprehensive discussion of the limitations of such tests. The medical practitioner will provide a full general medical examination and may agree to a blood test if required for the patient's mental health and wellness following a comprehensive discussion of the limitations of such tests, and providing a copy of the serum PFAS fact sheet.

Other work that may arise: • Health risk assessments for households (with MPI who will assess food safety risks); • Epidemiological study of residents near the bases (possibly in conjunction with Australian research); • Repeat biomonitoring survey; • Ongoing literature reviews.

Please note, one of our assumptions is that the health support package and therefore the possibility of a free PFAS test is still only applying to those whose drinking water source is at or above the interim guidance level (Defence are using 0.05 as their threshold). Some people with detectable PFAS below the interim guidance level may enter the former category after further ground water testing better characterises the plume, but given the conservatism inherent in the guidance level we think it is a reasonable threshold above which health support is offered.