Testing of private drinking wells bordering Selfridge Air National Guard Base has been ordered to determine if the water contains chemical contaminants from a toxic firefighting foam.
The U.S. Air Force is working with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to expand the well-water sampling footprint to detect the presence of the contaminants, according to a news release.
“We want to test as a precaution, in order to determine if there is need for any further environmental investigation,” MDEQ spokeswoman Melanie Brown said in the release.
The chemicals are often found in foam used to extinguish petroleum fires and widely used in the firefighting industry at commercial airports, state and federal officials said in the release.
In 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a health advisory for the chemicals.
Testing has detected the presence of the substances in the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.
Very low levels of the chemicals, below health advisory levels, were detected, Brown said.
The chemicals have been linked to cancer, thyroid disorders, elevated cholesterol and other diseases.
The foam is considered the most efficient extinguishing method for petroleum fires and is widely used in the firefighting industry.
According to the news release, the Air Force has replaced legacy firefighting foam at the air base in Harrison Township with a new, more environmentally responsible formula that contains no PFOS and only trace amounts of PFOA.