green living
MAKING FOREVER CHEMICALS GO AWAY MANMADE COMPOUNDS POSE LASTING THREAT TO OUR HEALTH by Sheryl DeVore
D
30
Origin of PFAS
billion in grants initially and $5 billion over time to help remove them from drinking water. Recent research has also shown PFAS detected in sludge used as fertilizer in home gardens. “We need action at all levels of government,” Schade says. “We need states to step up. We need Congress to step up. We need big companies to step up and consumers to take action.”
Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition
NAGulfCoast.com
Since the late 1940s, forever chemicals have been manufactured for use in products such as nonstick cookware; waterproof, water-resistant and stain-resistant textiles; dental floss; and food packaging, such as microwave popcorn bags and fast-food containers. Firefighters also use foam that contains the chemicals. “Production and disposal of these chemicals is leading to the contamination of drinking water supplies and surface water bodies all across the country,” Schade says. “It’s a huge issue, especially in the Great Lakes.” “We’re talking about more than 9,000 chemicals,” says Susie Dai, Ph.D., a leading PFAS researcher and an associate professor of plant pathology and microbiology at Texas A&M University. “Because they contain one of the strongest chemical bonds, the carbon-fluorine bond, they are very stable. That makes it difficult for the chemicals to break down and easy for them to accumulate in the environment.” Several years ago, chemical companies began manufacturing what they deem are less-toxic PFAS. They’re known as either
NorGal/AdobeStock.com
ecades ago, environmental groups urged the banning of what are known as forever chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, compromised immune systems and hormonal imbalances, among other health issues. Today, although some of these man-made perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are being phased out, there’s still much to worry about. “These chemicals are everywhere–in products, in our homes, in our drinking water. They’re even coming down in rain,” says Mike Schade, director of the Mind the Store program of ToxicFree Future (ToxicFreeFuture.org), a national nonprofit based in Seattle. “This is a growing public health crisis.” A recent Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) report says that 200 million Americans are likely drinking water contaminated with PFAS, and that these chemicals are even more toxic than once thought. In June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established new health advisories for these chemicals, warning about the toxicity of even lower amounts in water. The EPA is offering $1
