Environmental Quality Board official Scott Simonton told a West Virginia legislative panel on Wednesday "he can guarantee" residents are inhaling formaldehyde due to the contaminated water system, the Associated Press reported.
According to Simonton, a carcinogen is being inhaled by residents while showering and can be extremely detrimental to anyone who inhales it, according to the AP.
After Freedom Industries reported almost 10,000 gallons of MCHM (4-Methyl Cyclohexane Methanol) on Jan. 9, state government banned the use of water for almost 300,000 West Virginians, but removed the ban after a couple of days, the AP reported.
Simonton said the MCHM which spilled into the water supply will ultimately break down into formaldehyde, especially in the shower, the AP reported. He added the chemical is most deadly when inhaled.
"I can guarantee that citizens in this valley are, at least in some instances, breathing formaldehyde," Simonton said, according to the AP. "They're taking a hot shower. This stuff is breaking down into formaldehyde in the shower or in the water system, and they're inhaling it."
The testing for the chemicals is being funded by Thompson Barney LLC, a Charleston law firm which is representing many of the businesses which lost money due to the water ban, according to the AP.
The biggest health risk with inhaling the chemicals being broken down in the shower is respiratory cancer, the AP reported.
"We know that (crude MCHM) turns into other things, and these other things are bad," Simonton told reporters Wednesday, according to the AP. "And we haven't been looking for those other things. So we can't say the water is safe yet. We just absolutely cannot."
Testing at the Vandalia Grille in Charleston did not find any trace of MCHM and other testing showed no signs of formaldehyde though samples are still being processed, the AP reported.
