Sharon — Vermont officials have sent water samples from 10 Vermont schools, including Sharon Elementary School, to the Environmental Protection Agency for testing.

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation chose 10 schools for a pilot project for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a press release that went out last week.

The samples were taken last week and sent to the EPA, Elle O’Casey, director of communications and outreach for the Agency of Natural Resources said in a Tuesday email. Results will be available in four weeks.

In addition to Sharon, participating schools include Warren Elementary School, Lamoille Union USD 18, Brookfield Elementary, Smilie Memorial Elementary School in Bolton, Grafton Elementary School, Charleston Elementary School, Marlboro Elementary School, Ripton Elementary School and Eden Central School.

The department, which is working in partnership with the Department of Health and Agency of Education, chose these schools because they have on-site drinking water wells, which make them more likely to have been affected by PFAS used in floor cleaners and waxes than schools on public drinking water systems, O’Casey wrote.  

Some studies show that PFAS may affect growth, learning and behavior in babies and older children, lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant, interfere with the body’s natural hormones, increase cholesterol levels, affect the immune system and increase the risk of cancer, according to the press release from last week. The likelihood of developing a health effect due to PFAS exposure depends on how much an individual was exposed to, and for how long.