By Lynn Capuano
Before 1978 polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, were used in electrical equipment, transformers and hydraulics as well as plasticizers and fire retardants. But then they were banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1978 because they are toxic to humans, animals and some plants and they build up in the environment.
In 1980, the EPA banned dioxins, used as herbicide and a byproduct of burning pulp to make paper, because they cause cancer and have been linked to reproductive issues, developmental problems and immune system damage.
Asbestos, widely used for insulation, was banned in 1989. Asbestos exposure is the primary risk factor for mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer.
In 1990 it was hexavalent chromium, used in paint and cooling towers, that EPA banned because it can cause cancer.
Today it is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS as they are commonly known, that are the chemicals all around us, harming humans, animals, and the environment.
PFAS chemicals appear in an array of everyday items, such as food packaging, clothing, and carpeting and have been used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, construction, electronics, firefighting, and military since the 1940s. Some of the household items using PFAS are Teflon and Scotchgard.
Some refer to PFAS as “forever” chemicals because of their resistance to breaking down in the environment. According to the EPA, a common characteristic of PFAS is they build up in people, animals and the environment over time. Exposure occurs through contaminated drinking water, eating contaminated foods (especially fish), swallowing contaminated soil or dust, breathing contaminated air and using products made with PFAS or packaged in materials containing PFAS.
Current scientific research has linked these chemicals to cancers (including prostate, kidney, and testicular), decreased fertility and high blood pressure in pregnant women, birth defects, developmental delays, behavioral changes, decreased immune response to infection, including vaccine response, increased cholesterol and/or risk of obesity, interference with body’s natural hormones, and liver damage, among other harms.
One way we each can avoid contact with PFAS is to avoid purchasing foods packaged in products containing PFAS. These are typically packaging products made of paper, paperboard and molded fiber, including paper food bags, wrappers, bakery bags, deli wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, french fry boxes, takeout containers and pizza boxes. Studies have also found PFAS in molded fiber trays, bowls, soup containers, clamshells, plates, and food trays. These products also should not be composted to avoid contaminating the compost.
Unfortunately, given the thousands of PFAS, the variation in exposure rates and ways, and changes in types and uses of PFAS over time, it is difficult to track and assess all the risks to human health these chemicals present. Only two have been studied to any extent in the United States and that research has shown exposure to them to be linked to health issues (developmental defects, cancer, liver effects, and other health concerns).
Over a hundred million people in the United States have detectable amounts of the chemicals in their bodies, in part because PFAS are in our drinking water. When we talk about exposure to PFAS, we are talking about exposure not to just one chemical but on average to six or seven PFAS compounds. The consequences of exposure to multiple PFAS chemicals is not known, though we know specific PFAS are linked to a range of health issues.
There may be as many as 4,700 types of PFAS and innumerable compounds. Recent research has found PFAS not only in lakes, rivers, and groundwater, but also in the rain. PFAS are literally all around us—under us, falling on us, in the air and for many, in us.
On Long Island, 440 facilities may be using these harmful chemicals in their manufacturing. Over 100 Long Island water districts have PFAS contamination.
Despite being aware of the dangers of PFAS chemicals in drinking water since 2001, the EPA has still not established rules for allowable amounts of PFAS in drinking water. The current administration appears to be making progress. In December 2021 EPA published a rule requiring sample collection of 29 PFAS to improve understanding of PFAS found in drinking water systems nationwide. In April, EPA announced three clean water actions as part of its PFAS Strategic Roadmap.
The PFAS Strategic Roadmap, announced in October 2021, sets timelines for EPA to take actions related to:
1. better understanding the extent of PFAS contamination of drinking water,
2. publishing drinking water regulations for two PFAS chemicals,
3. further toxicity assessment of identified PFAS and publication of health advisories,
4. regulating PFAS discharges and
5. more research and analysis related to presence of PFAS in marine life and risk of certain PFAS chemicals in biosolids (byproduct of wastewater treatment.
EPA has also developed a National PFAS Testing Strategy. The purpose of the strategy is to have PFAS manufacturers provide EPA with toxicity data and information on categories of PFAS chemicals. This data will be used in future regulation of these chemicals.
It makes perfect sense to require the chemical manufacturers to provide data on the chemicals they wish to use. Human beings and other living things should not be made to be unwitting test subjects for chemical manufacturers and users who have not established the safety of the chemicals they are making, distributing, and using.
The current Congress is considering passage of the PFAS Action Act. The PFAS Action Act directs the EPA to take steps to address the threat PFAS presents to human health and the environment. Specifically, the act requires designation of two types of PFAS known to be dangerous to human health as a hazardous substance. Therefore, if discharged into the environment, the discharger would be required to clean up the discharge and address any harm resulting from the discharge. The act also requires EPA to determine the toxicity of PFAS and if designated as toxic, to then establish limits for discharge into waters.
The PFAS Action Act is only the start of what needs to be done to protect us and the environment from PFAS. Please urge your senators and congressional representatives to pass the PFAS Action Act. You can find your elected officials here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member.
