2018/2020: Macknade (Queensland). PFAS, Aluminium

2018/20: Macknade (Qld) – Hinchinbrook Shire Council – PFAS Breaches

Drinking Water Quality Management Plan 2021

(* Note Bore 3 had a PFAS detection >14 times the ADWG guideline for PFHxS+PFOS in September 2018. The guideline was also breached in July 2018. Bore 4 breached the Guideline level in November and December 2020)

Macknade TP

 18/7/18: PFOS 0.009ug/L

Macknade Sample Point 2

12/7/18: PFHxS 0.022ug/L, PFOS 0.056ug/L

Bore No 2 Macknade

13/9/18: PFOS 0.005ug/L

Macknade Bore 3

12/7/18: PFHxS 0.045ug/L, PFOS 0.12ug/L

13/9/18: PFHxA 0.015ug/L, PFOA 0.007ug/L, PFBS 0.018ug/L, PFPeS 0.023ug/L, PFHxS 0.26ug/L, PFHpS 0.006ug/L, PFOS 0.74ug/L

26/11/20: PFOS 0.04ug/L

Macknade Bore 4

16/8/18: PFOS 0.005ug/L

13/9/18: PFOS 0.005ug/L

27/9/18: PFOS 0.005ug/L

26/11/20: PFHxS 0.03ug/L, PFOS 0.094ug/L

17/12/20: PFOA 0.002ug/L, PFHxS 0.028ug/L, PFOS 0.13ug/L

Macknade Bore 5

12/7/18: PFHxS 0.005ug/L, PFOS 0.009ug/L

23/7/18: PFOS 0.009ug/L

2/8/18: PFOS 0.005ug/L

16/8/18: PFOS 0.006ug/L

30/8/18: PFOS 0.005ug/L

13/9/18: PFOS 0.006ug/L

27/9/18: PFOS 0.005ug/L

SP 41 Mill Road

23/7/18: PFOS 0.006ug/L

17/12/20: PFHxS 0.005ug/L, PFOS 0.02ug/L

Macknade, North Queensland

https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/management/disasters/investigation-pfas/sites/macknade-north-qld

The Queensland Government is assisting the Hinchinbrook Shire Council in response to the detection of perfluorinated substances in one groundwater bore that previously supplied part of the Hinchinbrook Shire water network.

Testing undertaken by the Hinchinbrook Shire Council and Queensland Health in July 2018 identified a single groundwater bore located near Macknade (located approximately 130km north of Townsville) which contained PFAS levels above the drinking water criteria.

Hinchinbrook Shire Council immediately disconnected the bore from the water supply and the bore no longer forms part of the water supply network.

Subsequent testing carried out by the Hinchinbrook Shire Council and Queensland Health confirms that Hinchinbrook Shire’s water supply is within Australian drinking water quality guidelines, posing no immediate health risk to people.

The Department of Environment and Science is working with the Hinchinbrook Shire Council and other State Government departments to investigate potential sources of the PFAS.

Macknade (Queensland) – Aluminium

Sampling for aluminium in raw water sources shows small quantities in all bores, except for two abnormal  historical results that occurred in a Macknade Combined Bore sample and a Halifax Combined Bore sample. On 21st June 2000 a sample was taken for aluminium from both the Macknade Combined Bore and the Halifax Combined Bore and the reading for aluminium was 0.8 mg/L and 0.17 mg/L respectively. These results were a large variation against the other samples taken over the period. These bores have been rehabilitated within the
past 5 years and the latest readings show low levels. Aluminium levels in the treated and reticulated water remain constant and do not show any trends, exceedances or spikes.

According to the ADWG, no health guideline has been adopted for Aluminium, but that the issue is still open to review. Aluminium can come from natural geological sources or from the use of aluminium salts as coagulants in water treatment plants. According to the ADWG “A well-operated water filtration plant (even using aluminium as a flocculant) can achieve aluminium concentrations in the finished water of less than 0.1 mg/L.

The most common form of aluminium in water treatment plants is Aluminium Sulfate (Alum). Alum can be supplied as a bulk liquid or in granular form. It is used at water treatment plants as a coagulant to remove turbidity, microorganisms, organic matter and inorganic chemicals. If water is particularly dirty an Alum dose of as high as 500mg/L could occur. There is also concern that other metals may also exist in refined alum.

While the ADWG mentions that there is considerable evidence that Aluminium is neurotoxic and can pass the gut barrier to accumulate in the blood, leading to a condition called encephalopathy (dialysis dementia) and that Aluminium has been associated with Parkinsonism dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the NHMRC, whilst also acknowledging studies which have linked Aluminium with Alzheimer disease, has not granted Aluminium a NOEL (No Observable Effect Level) due to insufficient and contradictory data. Without a NOEL, a health guideline cannot be established. The NHMRC has also stated that if new information comes to hand, a health guideline may be established in the future.

In communication with Aluminium expert Dr Chris Exley (Professor in Bioinorganic Chemistry
The Birchall Centre, Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire UK) in March 2013 regarding high levels of Aluminium detected in the South Western Victorian town of Hamilton
“It is my opinion that any value above 0.5 mg/L is totally unacceptable and a potential health risk. Where such values are maintained over days, weeks or even months, as indeed is indicated by the data you sent to me, these represent a significant health risk to all consumers. While consumers may not experience any short term health effects the result of longer term exposure to elevated levels of aluminium in potable waters may be a significant increase in the body burden of aluminium in these individuals. This artificially increased body burden will not return to ‘normal’ levels when the Al content of the potable water returns to normal but will act as a new platform level from which the Al body burden will continue to increase with age.