The chemicals called “PFAS” have been in the news a lot lately — like the recent revelation that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was allowing PFAS-contaminated water to be treated in Lowell and discharged into the Merrimack River, or the news that chemical giant 3M is suing the state of New Hampshire over the state’s strict PFAS drinking water standards. So, what are these chemicals, anyway? And should we be worried about them? Read more…
Nearly 300 wells and other sources of drinking water across California contain PFOS and PFOA. This year, state regulators mandated testing at wells with a high risk of contamination. Of the 600 wells across the state that were tested, about half contained one of the two chemicals, and twenty-four contained a combined level above 70 parts per trillion, enough to trigger a health advisory. Read more…
We know that homemade meals are usually more nutritious than the fries-burger-soda combo from your nearest fast food outlet. But that’s not the only reason cooking your own food is the healthier bet: Research suggests those quickly-delivered burgers could contain toxic PFAS chemicals. A new study by Silent Spring Institute found that eating out corresponded with higher bodily levels of PFAS. Read more…
PFAS chemicals have been identified in synthetic turf, according to lab tests performed on several samples of the artificial grass that were shared with The Intercept. The presence of the chemicals, members of a class that has been associated with multiple health problems, including cancer, adds to growing concerns about the grass replacement that covers many thousands of acres in parks, schools, professional sports stadiums, and practice fields around the U.S. Read more…
Despite their dangers, at least 15 of these 40 PFAS compounds that were the subject of substantial risk reports are not only on the most recent list of compounds in active use but also are produced in very large quantities. Read more…
Consumers looking to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals will be getting some help from The Home Depot, which announced today that it would stop selling carpets and rugs containing PFAS. Read more…
Three companies – the 3M Company, the Chemours Company and DuPont – appeared before US lawmakers in a Tuesday hearing reminiscent of those with tobacco companies in the 1990s. Read more…
An Arundel couple whose dairy farm is contaminated by so-called “forever chemicals” had up to 20 times the national average of PFAS in their blood, according to test results released Thursday by the farmers’ attorneys. Read more…
Yet another game of toxic whack-a-mole—this time with PFAS chemicals. Phased-out compounds are decreasing in the Great Lakes, but replacements keep showing up. Read more…
New Hampshire on Thursday adopted the country’s most sweeping limits for PFAS chemical contamination in drinking water. The strict standards won approval from the state legislature’s administrative rules committee, along roughly party lines. Read more…
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