Both Woburn and MWRA follow and meet the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Environmental Protection Agencies’ (EPA) strict rules and guidelines. In fact, the safety of Woburn's drinking water had long been a contentious issue. The discovery of contaminants in the wells led to numerous community meetings and to the formation of FACE (For a Cleaner Environment). Since then, hazardous chemicals dumped by local industry, which subsequently contaminated the drinking water supply, have been linked with the excess incidences of … If chemical contamination – of water or soil – is the source of murderous behavior, a researcher might conclude that Massachusetts is highly toxic. Woburn, Massachusetts: A Water Quality Case Study. The risks of congenital abnormalities and birth defects were also pretty high during that period. Groundwater contamination incident Edit. The contaminated water issue first surfaced in the 1970’s, when the citizens of Woburn began to notice a rise in the incidence of childhood leukemia, cancer and other illnesses. All water sampling is done in accordance with DEP. Contamination in Our Communities: A Case Study of Woburn, Massachusetts. Sediments in the Aberjona River were contaminated with PAHs and heavy metals such as chromium, zinc, mercury and arsenic [2]. … Woburn Massachusetts Water Contamination. Investigation led to the discovery of high levels of volatile organic compounds in the city’s wells. L-shaped and comprising 13 square miles of land, it is a small city of approximately 38,000 people. This can also be an issue in assigning legal responsibility for the negative health effects of public water contamination; this was the case in Woburn, Massachusetts when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals were detected in the groundwater supply for two municipal wells. Specifically, trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination and its impacts on human health will be explored. The water supply’s other one-third is supplemented by the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA). When state investigators tested Wells G and H, they found that they were contaminated with TCE (tetrachloroethylene — a suspected carcinogen) and other industrial byproducts. To learn more about what happened--and how you can continue to keep your home water supply safe and pure--keep reading… The History of the Woburn Massachusetts Water Contamination Epidemic Before we dive in, it’s essential to discuss the history of a contaminated water epidemic that took place in Massachusetts during the 1970s. Tanneries used toxic … Other than the leukemia, The residents show high risks of getting liver, kidney, prostate and urinary cancer. Welcome! Mandy Spence and Amanda Stephenson . Last week the Boston Globe reported that at least seven Massachusetts communities had drinking water supplies that tested positive for PFAS. Some 30 years after a 1982 lawsuit involving eight Woburn families and a public water supply contaminated by toxic chemicals, the wells that supplied both toxic drinking water and a legacy of cancer to Woburn remain contaminated despite a $21 million cleanup effort. Other than the leukemia, The residents show high risks of getting liver, kidney, prostate and urinary cancer. Anne Anderson, the mother of one of these children, was the first to notice that too many children in her neighborhood were being diagnosed with leukemia. The defendants were W.R. Background In May 1979, state investigators discovered that two municipal wells in Woburn were contaminated with industrial solvents. In its defense, W.R. Grace highlighted the history of pollution in the Woburn area and more specifically, historical pollution of the Aberjona River. Woburn had been home to industry for over 150 years. Since 1969 to 1979, there were 12 incidence of childhood leukemia happening in this area. This landmark case centered on the alleged contamination of two municipal supply wells (G and H) in Woburn, Massachusetts, by three local industries. • The suit alleged that serious health effects (childhood leukemia, cardiac arrhythmias, disorders of the immune and neurological systems) were caused by exposure to contaminated water from public supply wells G & H.