PFAS

E&E News Politico: Trifluoroacetic acid, the new PFAS that is everywhere

E & E News: You’ve probably never heard of this ‘forever chemical.” Scientists say it is everywhere. Journalist: Miranda Wilson Date: September 12, 2024 As cities and towns plan to remove several harmful “forever chemicals” from drinking water, scientists are starting to focus on a less-studied version of the chemicals that is showing up virtually everywhere they look. Trifluoroacetic acid, or TFA, could be one of the most widespread forever chemicals in the environment, according to a growing body of…

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EWG: ‘Forever chemicals’ in landfills threaten in environmental justice communities

Many of the 11,000-plus active and closed landfills in the U.S. could be contaminated with the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, creating increased health risks for the low-income communities and communities of color that are often located close to these sites. Experts estimate that every year 16,500 pounds of PFAS end up in landfills from discarded household goods, industrial waste and more. About 1,100 pounds of these chemicals get released, creating air pollution problems for people living nearby.  And 1,760 pounds of…

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KUOW: Does playing soccer on artifcial turf increase cancer risk especially in kids

  Longtime University of Washington goalies coach Amy Griffin is not an activist by nature. But 15 years ago, she identified what she believed was a trend that she couldn’t ignore in good conscience — young goalies being diagnosed with blood cancer. It started when she ran into two of her former goalkeepers at University Village, an outdoor mall in northeast Seattle. The two young women had grown up playing soccer in the same Seattle neighborhoods, on the same fields.…

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New study shows PFAS exposures for children playing on turf

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility conducted a small study in San Diego that raises questions about children’s exposure to toxic PFAS when playing on artificial turf.  The Washington Post covered the story at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/03/12/artificial-turf-pfas-chemicals/ NBC San Diego has an additional report at: https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/chemicals-artificial-turf-study/3468211/   Photo credit: Adria Crehuet Cano on UnSplash  

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The Guardian: Pork, tea, butter among foods contaminated with PFAS

Feb 19, 2024–The Guardian reported on new research from the University of Southern California, showing a link between elevated PFAS levels in blood and consumption of certain foods, including butter, processed meats, tea, and bottled water. The USC study analyzed the diets of 700 individuals over a 4-year period. Researchers found that some foods increased PFAS levels when consumed in restaurants but not when prepared at home, suggesting that food packaging was a route of exposure. Pork was associated with…

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The Guardian: EPA testing finds widespread PFAS contamination in drinking water

Feb 24, 2024 According to reporting in The Guardian, the Environmental Protection Agency has tested one third of United States drinking water systems for PFAS, finding PFAS in water systems that serve 70 million Americans. If contamination rates in this sample of water systems are consistent with rates in water that has not yet been tested, 200 million Americans are likely to have PFAS in their water. This represents 60 of the United States population. The EPA test results are…

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NYT: Forever Chemicals are everywhere, what are they doing to us?

The New York Times Magazine’s long form analysis of PFAS, with descriptions of how Philippe Grandjean and colleagues conducted  2012 research that showed, at levels currently in human blood, PFAS suppressed mmune systems and could make vaccines ineffective.  A few powerful quotes from this must-read article: The problem of PFAS pollution goes beyond drinking water: The Faroe Islands demonstrate as much. PFAS is entering the environment — plants, animals and people — through many routes.  “I’ve heard some people say, ‘Well,…

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Guardian: EPA releases water testing results for 2000 drinking water suppliers

On August 17, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released initial reports from the 5th Unregulated Contaminated Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS and lithium.  EPA tested approximately 2,000 water systems.  It found one or more PFAS in 431 water systems and PFOA and PFOS in 220 water systems.  This first round of testing affects just 7% of drinking water systems that the EPA will test between 2023-5, with final results available in 2026. See https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/17/pfas-us-drinking-water-contaminated-forever-chemicals-epa for more details.

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CNN: USGS study finds 45% of US drinking water has PFAS

On July 6, 2023, CNN reported on a recent US Geological (USGS) Survey study that found almost half of tap water in the United States is contaminated by per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).   USGS scientists indicated that the study might actually underestimate the nation’s water contamination problem, because the agency analyzed water for just 32 of the over 12,000 known PFAS. The USGS study is the most comprehensive analysis to date of PFAS in the nation’s water supply. From 2016-2021, USGS…

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