On Jan. 24, the CT Mirror reported that Connecticut lawmakers are considering new exemptions to the state’s ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” which do not naturally break down, persisting in our soil, air, and waterways indefinitely.
PFAS are used in everything from food packaging, non-stick cookware (Teflon), to water-resistant clothes (Gortex), stain-resistant fabric, carpets, and even firefighting foam. Rolling back Connecticut’s new regulations would be a grave mistake, because the science cannot be clearer.
PFAS are:
• Widespread – in our air, soil, and water, and in us. The National Institute of Health (NIH) reports that there are now more than 12,000 of these “forever chemicals.” According to scientists from Northwestern University, “these are called ‘forever chemicals’ for a reason. Bacteria can’t eat them; fire can’t incinerate them; and water can’t dilute them. And, if these toxic chemicals are buried, they leach into surrounding soil, becoming a persistent problem for generations to come.”
• Persistent — remaining in our environment for an unknown amount of time. The New York Department of Heath reports that, “When PFOA is present in drinking water, PFOA levels in blood are expected to be much higher than levels in the water.” Furthermore, it is estimated PFOA in the blood has a three-year half-life, so it could take 15 years to get 100% of an exposure, down to under 5%.
• Bioaccumulated – their effects are cumulative – they build up in our bodies over time and are passed through the placenta from mother to her fetus throughout pregnancy. According to the NIH, 97% of Americans have PFAS contamination in their blood.
• Untested – According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), of the approximately 3,000 most commonly used chemicals (used in excess of a million pounds a year), only about 7 percent have been tested for safety.
• Unsafe – For some PFAS, there is practically no safe level of exposure. According to attorney Robert Bilott, chemical giant DuPont’s own scientists set the safety exposure limit for the forever chemical PFOA at 0.6 parts per billion (ppb), the smallest level of detection that their scientists’ instruments could measure at the time. But after more than two decades of class-action lawsuits, in 2023 the EPA set limits on six PFAS at 4 parts per trillion (ppt). So, exactly how small is 4 ppt? If measured by time, it’s the equivalent of two minutes out of every million years.
• Unregulated – In early 2023, EPA finally announced that six PFAS will now be regulated, otherwise, there have been no federal water quality standards or air emission standards for any PFAS for the past 70 years.
Scientists in some of the top academic journals have been sounding the alarm about PFAS for decades – hundreds of studies have linked these ‘forever chemicals’ to various cancers, reduced kidney function, thyroid disruption, and even decreased immune response (see http://pfastoxdatabase.org ).
The younger we are, the more susceptible we are to toxic exposure, a phenomenon that toxicologists call the “window of vulnerability.” A recent review published in the journal Neurotoxicology suggests that the greatest risk of toxic exposure occurs prenatally. Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize that our newborns already come into the world carrying a toxic load.
A study by the Environmental Working Group, detected an average of more than 200 toxins in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies – including the forever chemicals PFAS. Yikes! Chemical manufacturers cannot be expected to safely regulate themselves.
As chemical manufacturing has increased dramatically in the United States during the last 50 years, the incidence of conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, childhood cancers, diabetes and obesity has spiked dramatically. Of course, determining direct causality can often be elusive, but when effective policy is implemented, the results are profound. For example, when California outlawed flame retardants, scientists at the University of California found that blood levels of toxins decrease by about two-thirds in pregnant patients.
In closing, it has taken nearly 70 years for there to be any federal regulation of PFAS. If any action is to be taken by lawmakers in Connecticut, there should be much more PFAS regulation, not less. Readers, please take two minutes to contact your legislators, explain the facts, and urge them not to rollback any state regulations on PFAS.
Jacob Werblow Ph.D. of West Hartford is an educational researcher.