PFAS in the news

Over the past few years, state and federal lawmakers across the country have proposed and even enacted a slew of new laws prohibiting or limiting the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products, including food packaging, cosmetics, cookware, toys, and textiles. While attempts to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act to prohibit the sale of food packaging containing “intentionally added” PFAS into interstate commerce have been unsuccessful to date, a number of state laws begin to take effect this year. Though the definition of “intentionally added” PFAS or similar term varies from state to state, it generally means the deliberate addition of PFAS for an intended function or technical effect. Read more…

If you live in the U.S. and bought Thinx underwear recently, you could soon be getting some money back.

That’s because the period panty brand has just settled a class-action lawsuit alleging that its products — long marketed as a safer, more sustainable approach to menstrual hygiene — contain potentially harmful chemicals.

Plaintiffs say third-party testing on the underwear revealed the presence of short chain per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), human-made chemicals that are found in many consumer and industrial products, do not easily break down and have been linked to adverse health effects. And they’re accusing the company of fraud and other deceptive practices as a result. Read more…

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new interactive webpage, called the “PFAS Analytic Tools,” which provides information about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) across the country. This information will help the public, researchers, and other stakeholders better understand potential PFAS sources in their communities. The PFAS Analytic Tools bring together multiple sources of information in one spot with mapping, charting, and filtering functions, allowing the public to see where testing has been done and what level of detections were measured. Read more…

Legislation led by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-12th District) to help protect the health and safety of firefighters and emergency responders from PFAS exposure has been signed into law. The Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act directs federal agencies to develop best practices, training, and educational programs to reduce, limit and prevent exposure to PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not naturally break down. The bill would also require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop educational resources for firefighters on alternative foams and personal protective equipment that do not contain PFAS. Read more…

A new lawsuit says many plastic containers used in the US to hold food, cleaning supplies, personal care items and other consumer products are likely to be contaminated with toxic PFAS. It is now asking federal courts to halt their production.

The suit references soon-to-be-published research that found PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) from HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic containers leach at extremely high levels into ketchup, mayonnaise, olive oil and everyday products. Read more…

3M Co., confronting regulatory pressure and lawsuits that threaten billions of dollars in damages, will stop making so-called forever chemicals and aim to discontinue their use in products by the end of 2025. Read more…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today gave states important recommendations to test wastewater for PFAS before allowing polluters to discharge it into public waters, which is the main route of human exposure to these “forever chemicals.” PFAS are nearly indestructible, non-biodegradable, and linked to serious health issues such as cancer, infertility, and impaired fetal development. At least 200 million people in 38 states and Puerto Rico have PFAS-contaminated tap water or groundwater. States now have an opportunity to take a step in minimizing the harm caused by industrial discharges of these toxic chemicals. Read more…

New research could help pinpoint “forever chemicals” exposure — giving communities a roadmap for cleanup and individuals direction on what to avoid. Read more.

A Riddle, Wrapped in a Mystery, Inside an Enigma…
In our research on PFAS LVEs, we found a troubling discrepancy—EPA’s website says there are “over 600 granted PFAS LVEs”—but its public list includes only 488.

When we asked for a list of the missing chemicals, EPA declined to provide it, claiming that doing so would reveal “confidential business information” (CBI). Read more…