PFAS in 67% of tested Maryland waterways to include Patuxent River. Sean LaGrand October 29, 2026 6 minutes read PFAS "forever chemicals" have been widely detected in Maryland waterways, including the Patuxent River basin, following a major joint report released by Environment America and allied research groups. The ongoing pollution and regulatory updates heavily impact Southern Prince George's and Charles counties due to their proximity to major regional contamination vectors. Key Findings from the Waterway Report Widespread Contamination: The report found PFAS in 67% of tested Maryland waterways Regional Risk: The data draws from the EPA's Water Quality Portal and local Waterkeeper networks, showing that the Capital and Chesapeake regions face persistent toxic chemical burdens. Discover more Test Your Water Order Spring Water Book Local Tours Bioaccumulation Concerns: Earlier testing in the Patuxent River system noted that while some bivalve tissue samples came back clean, historic studies have found heavy PFAS presence near the mouth of the Patuxent River, prompting continuous pilot monitoring by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Local Impacts on Prince George's & Charles Counties. The contamination affecting the Patuxent River and local tributaries stems primarily from industrial runoff, wastewater plants, and historical military foam usage. Location / Source Impact & Contamination Context Southern Prince George's. Prince George's County previously launched litigation against major toxic foam manufacturers (like 3M and DuPont). Military sites like Joint Base Andrews drain heavily into local creeks (such as Piscataway Creek), which migrate PFAS into shallow groundwater and local treatment plants like the Western Branch WWTP near Jug Bay on the Patuxent River. Historic local tap sampling in Prince George's recorded levels around 17.8 parts per trillion (ppt). Charles County / Southern MD Downstream and adjacent zones are heavily influenced by the high concentrations of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) historically used at nearby installations like Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Shallow groundwater contamination at these facilities has routinely reached extreme levels (up to 37,000+ ppt), seeping out into surrounding streams feeding the Patuxent and St. Mary's River systems. Public Health & Water Safety Action. Rent Watercraft A separate study by Johns Hopkins University highlighted that every Maryland resident tested carried detectable levels of PFAS in their blood, with over 50% exceeding federal safety guidelines for tap water. For communities along the lower Patuxent River like Eagle Harbor (situated at the southern tip of Prince George's County) and neighboring Charles County, this report underscores long-standing local environmental justice and contamination fears. Key Details from the Waterways Report Widespread Presence: The study pulled data from the EPA's Water Quality Portal and regional Waterkeeper groups, revealing that PFAS contamination impacts the vast majority of sampled areas in the capital region. Data Limits: Because not every single tributary or local waterway is continuously monitored, researchers note that the current findings likely represent only a fraction of total area contamination. Health Concerns: The report re-emphasizes that even low-level exposure to these indestructible synthetic compounds is linked by medical professionals to severe complications, including immune system issues, liver damage, cardiovascular problems, and increased cancer risks. Impact on Eagle Harbor, Southern Prince George's, and Charles County, The lower Patuxent River basin experiences unique pollution challenges compounding these findings: The Chalk Point Vector: Eagle Harbor sits directly adjacent to the Chalk Point Generating Station. Local advocacy groups like the Patuxent Riverkeeper and environmental scientists have flagged Eagle Harbor as an environmental justice focus area due to legacy groundwater and air emissions that intersect with river pollution. Military Foam Runoff: Further downstream, major military sites like Naval Air Station Patuxent River have historically documented massive PFAS shallow groundwater plumes stemming from the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) during fire exercises. This groundwater continuously leaches directly into off-base streams feeding the Patuxent and St. Mary's rivers, threatening local marine ecosystems. Local Baseline Testing: Because of the lack of granular data on local drinking wells and coastal habitats, organizations like Ridge to Reefs and the University of Maryland have partnered with the Town of Eagle Harbor to deploy real-time sensors and establish baseline testing for local well water, soil quality, and Patuxent River wildlife (including crabs and oysters). Rent Watercraft What Communities Can Do If you rely on private wells or are concerned about localized municipal safety in Prince George's or Charles County, consider these active steps: Check Water Provider Records: If you are on public water, you can look up specific testing data. For instance, utilities like WSSC Water (serving parts of Prince George's) have actively logged and published trace PFAS testing results from their Patuxent Water Filtration Plants Test Private Wells: Because private shallow wells are the most vulnerable to localized runoff, residents using well water can reach out to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) or local county health departments to request targeted commercial lab testing kits Utilize Certified Filtration: Standard water pitchers rarely catch forever chemicals. Look for home filtration configurations certified specifically under NSF/ANSI Standards 53 or 58 (such as multi-stage reverse osmosis or activated carbon systems) which are proven to reliably drop PFAS levels down to non-detectable margins. Discover more Study Chemistry View Census Data Study Marine Life There are plenty of good whole house and reverse osmosis filtration systems, I use Hague Water Quality Systems. The whole house treats the heavy iron from well water in the Brandywine, MD region pared with their reversed osmosis system for clean drinking and cooking water. Hague Quality Water systems are certified under NSF/ANSI Standard 58 rather than Standard 53. Because Hague's premier drinking water filtration lines are reverse osmosis (RO) systems, they fall under the jurisdiction of Standard 58, which is the specific industry protocol governing reverse osmosis performance and safety. NSF/ANSI Standard 58 (Reverse Osmosis Systems. Hague's flagship drinking water appliances are officially certified by the Water Quality Association (WQA) to conform to NSF/ANSI Standard 58. Certified Models: The Hague H3000 and Hague H3500 reverse osmosis systems are structurally tested and performance-verified under this standard. [Contaminant Reduction: This certification ensures the RO membrane and filtration stages successfully reduce health-related contaminants, including arsenic, lead, fluoride, nitrates, nitrites, chromium, and radium, as well as significantly reducing Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). System Components: Other high-efficiency RO models in their lineup, like the H6000, carry the WQA Gold Seal which tests against these identical multi-stage RO evaluation protocols. [lNSF/ANSI Standard 53 (Health Effects) While NSF/ANSI Standard 53 also measures the reduction of health-related contaminants (like lead, mercury, and VOCs), it specifically applies to non-reverse osmosis filtration units, such as active carbon block filters or whole-house systems. Hague's drinking water systems utilize carbon pre-filters and post-filters that reduce aesthetic issues, chlorine taste, and odors (which cross into Standard 42/53 territories). However, because these filters are integrated into a larger reverse osmosis assembly, the entire device receives its primary health certification under Standard 58 instead of Standard 53. Study Marine Life Discover more Rent Watercraft Order Lab Supplies Administrator Share via:

EnerSys names AI and digital chief to drive efficiency. READING, PA - EnerSys (NYSE: ENS) has appointed Navi Grewal as chief digital, AI and information officer, effective October 16, 2026, consolidating oversight of technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise data as the industrial battery manufacturer seeks to simplify operations and improve productivity. Grewal joins the company's executive leadership team and reports directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Shawn O'Connell. The appointment places responsibility for EnerSys' global technology infrastructure, digital transformation and AI strategy under a single executive. Her mandate includes modernizing business systems, expanding automation and strengthening the company's use of data in operational decision-making. Discover more Local news subscription Chester County advertising Community website development Grewal will also oversee cybersecurity and information technology, functions critical to maintaining reliable operations across EnerSys' manufacturing and industrial businesses. The leadership change comes as EnerSys works to improve efficiency across its global operations, which supply stored energy products and systems for industrial, infrastructure and defense applications. "As we continue executing our strategy to simplify operations, improve productivity and strengthen how we leverage technology, data and AI across the organization, Navi will play an important role in helping us enhance decision-making and drive operational excellence across our business," O'Connell said. Grewal brings nearly three decades of experience in technology leadership and enterprise transformation across manufacturing, industrial and consumer businesses. She most recently served as global chief digital and technology officer at MasterBrand Cabinets, where she oversaw enterprise applications, technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise risk management, AI and data strategy. Her responsibilities at MasterBrand included technology modernization across manufacturing systems, analytics and cybersecurity, with an emphasis on operational productivity. Before joining MasterBrand, Grewal held senior positions at DuPont, including global chief information officer for its Water & Protection business and vice president of enterprise customer experience. She previously held technology and business leadership positions at Church & Dwight, Campbell Soup Company and Exelon Corporation. Grewal holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Regional Engineering College in Jalandhar, India, and completed executive leadership development through Columbia University. The appointment establishes a centralized executive role for EnerSys' technology and AI initiatives, linking the company's digital investments to its broader operational efficiency strategy. Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources - free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today. Chester County guide Discover more Traffic updates service Weather alerts service Business directory listing

DuPont de Nemours has expanded its bioprocessing range with AmberChrom SIL silica gel, a reverse phase media designed for peptide therapeutics such as GLP-1 receptor agonists. The share price stands at $136.55, up 4.68% over seven days and 11.37% so far this year. The one-year total shareholder return is 36.70%. The company also affirmed a quarterly dividend of $0.60. One popular analyst view puts fair value at $166.41, which would make the stock 18% undervalued. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.3x, against 27.3x for direct peers and 10.7x for the global industrials group. Risks include legal exposure tied to PFAS and reliance on cost productivity programmes.