Water Sector News
A snapshot of clean water stories from publications around the country, updated daily!
Superfund Designation for PFOA/PFOS Does Not Stop the PFAS Contamination Crisis
A recent report on “forever chemicals” (PFAS or Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances) by the Daily Mail had a graphic that caught my eye. It showed the nanograms per serving for foods high in “forever chemicals.” The eye catcher was not the numbers (which were unfortunately no surprise to me), but that they included private label items from one of our major grocery chains. Just to be clear, it is not a reflection on the quality control our local grocery chain. It is a reflection on how pervasive a problem PFAS chemicals are in our current society.
The report comes days after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that two widely used PFAS chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), will be designated as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. PFAS chemicals have been linked to various health effects, and PFOA and PFOS have been specifically linked to negative effects to the immune and cardiovascular system, as well as pregnancy hypertension and decreased newborn birth weights. Referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally degrade over time, regulatory scrutiny is intensifying as studies show they pass through the food chain and bioaccumulate in our food sources and bodies.