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Tag: Forever Chemicals

  • California legislature votes to phase out

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    California lawmakers voted to ban a group of chemicals known as PFAS, which are often called “forever chemicals,” in cookware. The move has pulled in celebrity chefs on one side and environmentalists, including actor Mark Ruffalo, on the other.

    The proposal, Senate Bill 682, would prohibit PFAS in cookware, cleaning products, dental floss, ski wax, food packaging and certain children’s products. Lawmakers approved the bill in a 41-19 vote, late on Friday, with 20 assembly members not voting. The bill quickly passed amendments in the Senate and is now headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.

    It’s the latest move to limit PFAS, which are a class of thousands of chemicals that have been around for more than 70 years and are widely used in a variety of consumer, commercial and industrial products due to their ability to withstand heat and repel water and stains. They are called “forever chemicals” because they are extremely persistent in the environment and can accumulate in humans and animals.

    Exposure to PFAS is linked to many negative health effects, including but not limited to kidney and testicular cancer, liver and kidney damage, and harm to the nervous and reproductive systems.

    Newsom has until Oct. 12 to sign the bill into law. If he does, there is time period for manufacturers and retailers to comply with the legislation. Cookware must be compliant by 2030, 2031 for certain cleaning products, and 2028 for all other products covered in the bill. 

    The legislation specifically points to health risks as the reason for phasing out PFAS from cookware and other products. “Exposure to PFAS poses a significant threat to the environment and public health,” the bill states. 

    Nearly everyone in the United States has been exposed to PFAS and has it in their blood, according to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. California and more than a dozen other states have in recent years taken a more cautionary stance by limiting PFAS in other products, including textiles, certain children’s products, firefighting foam, and cosmetics.

    California has already banned PFAS in carpets, textiles and firefighting foam. Now, the latest debate centers on nonstick pans. Many are treated with a chemical compound called PTFE, a type of PFAS better known as Teflon, which coats millions of pans. 

    Chefs push back

    The Cookware Sustainability Alliance, which describes itself as a group of cookware manufacturers, designers and engineers, has rallied high-profile culinary stars to oppose the bill. Chefs including Rachael Ray, Thomas Keller of the famed French Laundry restaurant in Napa, Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster in Harlem, and David Chang of Momofuku in New York City all submitted letters to lawmakers arguing nonstick pans are safe when manufactured and used correctly.

    “I respect and share the desire to protect Californians and our planet, but I urge you to look closely at the science before moving forward with legislation that could unintentionally do more harm than good,” Ray wrote. “PTFEs, when manufactured and used responsibly, are proven to be safe and effective.”

    Some chefs also argue that banning nonstick pans could make cooking more difficult and costly for families. “Alternatives often do not perform with the same consistency, which can undermine the very goal of helping people cook nourishing meals at home,” chef Einat Admony of Balaboosta in New York City wrote in her letter.

    “We base everything on chemistry, on science,” Steve Burns, executive director of the Cookware Sustainability Alliance, said in an interview with CBS News. “The Teflon coating around a nonstick pan is a fluoropolymer. Technically it falls under the PFAS family, but fluoropolymers have been shown for decades to be inert and non-harmful.”

    The cookware industry says the bill unfairly targets a material that regulators, like the Food and Drug Administration, have repeatedly approved and deemed safe. “Since the 1960s, the FDA has authorized PTFE and other fluoropolymers for use in food-contact applications,” Burns said. “As recently as early 2025, the FDA reaffirmed that PTFE in nonstick coatings remains approved.”

    The environmental community responds

    Environmental groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group have pushed back against the industry, saying everyday use of Teflon-coated cookware can release PFAS particles or fumes, especially when pans are scratched or overheated.

    “PTFE is basically a plasticized version of PFAS,” said Anna Reade, the NRDC’s director of PFAS advocacy. 

    She disagrees with industry claims that Teflon is safe because when nonstick cookware is overheated, she says, PFAS emissions come off the pans and can be inhaled or absorbed by the food cooking in the pan. A small scientific study supports Reade’s claim, as well as additional scientific studies that recommend limiting the use of Teflon in production and use because of the potential risks it poses to human health.

    “The other concern is that when you flake off and scrub off PTFE, you’re breaking it into really small pieces,” Reade said. Studies also suggest scratched pans may shed microplastics that could end up in food.

    Actor Mark Ruffalo, who starred in the 2019 film “Dark Waters” about PFAS contamination and is an outspoken critic of “forever chemicals,” weighed in on social platform X with an open letter to Ray. “Independent science shows that the PFAS in cookware can wind up in our food,” Ruffalo wrote. He went on to urge her to support the bill “from the bottom of my heart.”

    California state Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat from Southern California who proposed the legislation, was grateful the bill passed. 

    “PFAS pose a level of serious risks that require us to take a measured approach to reduce their proliferation and unnecessary use throughout the marketplace,” Allen said in a statement. “With SB 682, California can take another strong step toward responsibly phasing out these toxins to prioritize our health and wellbeing over corporate profits.”

    Allen emphasizes that the legislation aims to phase out PFAS in cookware and other items where substitutes exist. There are already PFAS-free options available for all the products referenced in the bill. In place of nonstick cookware, stainless steel and cast-iron pans are possible replacements because they do not include Teflon coatings.

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  • California bill to ban

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    California lawmakers are weighing whether to ban a group of chemicals known as PFAS, which are often called “forever chemicals,” in cookware. The move has pulled in celebrity chefs on one side and environmentalists, including actor Mark Ruffalo, on the other.

    The proposal, Senate Bill 682, would prohibit PFAS in cookware, cleaning products, dental floss, ski wax, food packaging and certain children’s products. The state Senate has already passed the bill and sent it to the state Assembly for consideration. Lawmakers face a Friday deadline to finalize the measure and send it to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

    It’s the latest move to limit PFAS, which are a class of thousands of chemicals that have been around for more than 70 years and are widely used in a variety of consumer, commercial and industrial products due to their ability to withstand heat and repel water and stains. They are called “forever chemicals” because they are extremely persistent in the environment and can accumulate in humans and animals.

    Exposure to PFAS is linked to many negative health effects, including but not limited to kidney and testicular cancer, liver and kidney damage, and harm to the nervous and reproductive systems.

    The legislation specifically points to health risks as the reason for phasing out PFAS from cookware and other products. “Exposure to PFAS poses a significant threat to the environment and public health,” the bill states. 

    Nearly everyone in the United States has been exposed to PFAS and has it in their blood, according to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. California and more than a dozen other states have in recent years taken a more cautionary stance by limiting PFAS in products.

    California has already banned PFAS in carpets, textiles and firefighting foam. Now, the latest debate centers on nonstick pans. Many are treated with a chemical compound called PTFE, a type of PFAS better known as Teflon, which coats millions of pans. 

    Chefs push back

    The Cookware Sustainability Alliance, which describes itself as a group of cookware manufacturers, designers and engineers, has rallied high-profile culinary stars to oppose the bill. Chefs including Rachael Ray, Thomas Keller of the famed French Laundry restaurant in Napa, Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster in Harlem, and David Chang of Momofuku in New York City all submitted letters to lawmakers arguing nonstick pans are safe when manufactured and used correctly.

    “I respect and share the desire to protect Californians and our planet, but I urge you to look closely at the science before moving forward with legislation that could unintentionally do more harm than good,” Ray wrote. “PTFEs, when manufactured and used responsibly, are proven to be safe and effective.”

    Some chefs also argue that banning nonstick pans could make cooking more difficult and costly for families. “Alternatives often do not perform with the same consistency, which can undermine the very goal of helping people cook nourishing meals at home,” chef Einat Admony of Balaboosta in New York City wrote in her letter.

    “We base everything on chemistry, on science,” Steve Burn, executive director of the Cookware Sustainability Alliance, said in an interview with CBS News. “The Teflon coating around a nonstick pan is a fluoropolymer. Technically it falls under the PFAS family, but fluoropolymers have been shown for decades to be inert and non-harmful.”

    The cookware industry says the bill unfairly targets a material that regulators, like the Food and Drug Administration, have repeatedly approved and deemed safe. “Since the 1960s, the FDA has authorized PTFE and other fluoropolymers for use in food-contact applications,” Burn said. “As recently as early 2025, the FDA reaffirmed that PTFE in nonstick coatings remains approved.”

    The environmental community responds

    Environmental groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group have pushed back against the industry, saying everyday use of Teflon-coated cookware can release PFAS particles or fumes, especially when pans are scratched or overheated.

    “PTFE is basically a plasticized version of PFAS,” said Anna Reade, the NRDC’s director of PFAS advocacy. She disagrees with industry claims that Teflon is safe because when nonstick cookware is overheated, she says, PFAS emissions come off the pans and can be inhaled or absorbed by the food cooking in the pan. A small scientific study supports Reade’s claim.

    “The other concern is that when you flake off and scrub off PTFE, you’re breaking it into really small pieces,” Reade said. Studies also suggest scratched pans may shed microplastics that could end up in food.

    Actor Mark Ruffalo, who starred in the 2019 film “Dark Waters” about PFAS contamination and is an outspoken critic of “forever chemicals,” weighed in on social platform X with an open letter to Ray. “Independent science shows that the PFAS in cookware can wind up in our food,” Ruffalo wrote. He went on to urge her to support the bill “from the bottom of my heart.”

    California state Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat from Southern California who proposed the legislation, has also been vocal on social media pushing back against criticisms of the bill. “PFAS have invaded every part of the world around us, including our very bodies and the food and water we consume,” he told CBS News. “SB 682 is a modest attempt to phase out more PFAS in California by focusing only on products which already face bans across the nation because safer alternatives widely exist in the marketplace.”

    Allen emphasizes that the legislation aims to phase out PFAS in cookware and other items where substitutes exist. In place of nonstick cookware, stainless steel and cast-iron pans are possible replacements because they do not include Teflon coatings.

    Tracy J. Wholf

    contributed to this report.

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  • Researchers discover incredible new method to pull toxic chemicals out of our food: ‘A lot of people now are aware’

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    Vegetables’ health benefits may extend beyond their nutritious value, thanks to researchers studying their ability to detect and possibly remove harmful forever chemicals from soil.

    The chemicals, or PFAS, are a class of thousands of substances that have been used in common products, including nonstick cookware, for decades. They linger in the environment indefinitely, which is why they are also called forever chemicals. The substances are in most Americans’ blood, even newborns, according to the Environmental Working Group and the government.

    While experts are still studying the health implications, findings suggest an association with reproductive issues, immune system harm, and hormonal complications, the Environmental Protection Agency added.

    It’s no surprise that PFAS are also in dirt, which can contribute to crop contamination. That’s where University of Virginia Professor Bryan Berger thinks the plants themselves can help to solve the problem, according to Grist.

    “I think a lot of people now are aware of PFAS, or concerned about it, or want to know whether it’s present in their water, their food. The whole purpose of what we’re trying to do is develop something that’s simple and cost effective to answer that question for them,” Berger said in the story.

    He and a group of researchers have been working with the tribal Mi’kmaq Nation on land they acquired from a former Air Force Base. Early findings showed that hemp can astoundingly “draw PFAS out of the soil,” according to Grist. But there is much more information to be gathered about how the troublesome chemicals move in the ground, and how plants can identify and potentially remediate them.

    “I think everybody is struggling with that question, trying to figure out, what does ‘forever’ mean?” Berger said in the story.

    The government has started regulating PFAS, but the chemicals are still turning up all over the place. Current testing using spectrometers costs hundreds of dollars per sample and can take weeks for results. Berger’s team developed a microbial biosensor that glows when exposed to PFAS, a much quicker, less expensive option that was successfully tested on the tribe’s land, all according to Grist.

    But Berger thinks plants could be engineered in a similar way to be sentinels that glow when forever chemicals are present. It’s similar to a longtime practice of planting vegetation susceptible to certain diseases to see if the pathogen is present. In this case, a glowing row of crops identifies PFAS — giving farmers instant knowledge without more tests, Grist continued.

    One study Berger mentioned in the story noted that potatoes in Maine contaminated with PFAS didn’t have the substances in the edible part, only the leaves. It’s remarkable progress. But Berger said there’s still no affordable way to eliminate them.

    “It’s the million-dollar question,” he added in Grist.

    The plants themselves might be able to do it. The team’s idea is to use a “specially engineered” microbe that mimics photosynthesis. Energy from the process would destroy PFAS that the microbe absorbed, as Grist described it.

    It’s an early-stage idea still being tested.

    “If it works, it’s the most environmentally benign way we could do things because it’s almost all biological,” Berger told Grist.

    Colorado’s H2Plus is developing a water filter that can break down PFAS at the molecular level, as another example in the works. The innovations, along with more regulations and smarter product use, can help. Ditching plastic containers, bottles, and other throwaway items can limit plastic, microplastics, and other harmful waste. Switching to better products can also save you money.

    Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

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  • Biden administration sets first-ever limits on PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water

    Biden administration sets first-ever limits on PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water

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    The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured. Officials say this will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses, including cancers.

    The rule is the first national drinking water limit on toxic PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are widespread and long-lasting in the environment.

    Health advocates praised the Environmental Protection Agency for not backing away from tough limits the agency proposed last year. But water utilities took issue with the rule, saying treatment systems are expensive to install and that customers will end up paying more for water.

    Water providers are entering a new era with significant additional health standards that the EPA says will make tap water safer for millions of consumers — a Biden administration priority. The agency has also proposed forcing utilities to remove dangerous lead pipes.

    Utility groups warn the rules will cost tens of billions of dollars each and fall hardest on small communities with fewer resources. Legal challenges are sure to follow.

    EPA Administrator Michael Regan says the rule is the most important action the EPA has ever taken on PFAS.

    “The result is a comprehensive and life-changing rule, one that will improve the health and vitality of so many communities across our country,” said Regan.

    PFAS chemicals are hazardous because they don’t degrade in the environment and are linked to health issues such as low birth weight and liver disease, along with certain cancers. The EPA estimates the rule will cost about $1.5 billion to implement each year, but doing so will prevent nearly 10,000 deaths over decades and significantly reduce serious illnesses.

    They’ve been used in everyday products including nonstick pans, firefighting foam and waterproof clothing. Although some of the most common types are phased out in the U.S., others remain. Water providers will now be forced to remove contamination put in the environment by other industries.

    “It’s that accumulation that’s the problem,” said Scott Belcher, a North Carolina State University professor who researches PFAS toxicity. “Even tiny, tiny, tiny amounts each time you take a drink of water over your lifetime is going to keep adding up, leading to the health effects.”

    PFAS is a broad family of chemical substances, and the new rule sets strict limits on two common types — called PFOA and PFOS — at 4 parts per trillion. Three other types that include GenEx Chemicals that are a major problem in North Carolina are limited to 10 parts per trillion. Water providers will have to test for these PFAS chemicals and tell the public when levels are too high. Combinations of some PFAS types will be limited, too.

    Regan will announce the rule in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Wednesday.

    Environmental and health advocates praised the rule, but said PFAS manufacturers knew decades ago the substances were dangerous yet hid or downplayed the evidence. Limits should have come sooner, they argue.

    “Reducing PFAS in our drinking water is the most cost effective way to reduce our exposure,” said Scott Faber, a food and water expert at Environmental Working Group. “It’s much more challenging to reduce other exposures such as PFAS in food or clothing or carpets.”

    Over the last year, EPA has periodically released batches of utility test results for PFAS in drinking water. Roughly 16% of utilities found at least one of the two strictly limited PFAS chemicals at or above the new limits. These utilities serve tens of millions of people. The Biden administration, however, expects about 6-10% of water systems to exceed the new limits.

    Water providers will generally have three years to do testing. If those test exceed the limits, they’ll have two more years to install treatment systems, according to EPA officials.

    Some funds are available to help utilities. Manufacturer 3M recently agreed to pay more than $10 billion to drinking water providers to settle PFAS litigation. And the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes billions to combat the substance. But utilities say more will be needed.

    For some communities, tests results were a surprise. Last June, a utility outside Philadelphia that serves nearly 9,000 people learned that one of its wells had a PFOA level of 235 parts per trillion, among the highest results in the country at the time.

    “I mean, obviously, it was a shock,” said Joseph Hastings, director of the joint public works department for the Collegeville and Trappe boroughs, whose job includes solving problems presented by new regulations.

    The well was quickly yanked offline, but Hastings still doesn’t know the contamination source. Several other wells were above the EPA’s new limits, but lower than those the state of Pennsylvania set earlier. Now, Hastings says installing treatment systems could be a multi-million dollar endeavor, a major expense for a small customer base.

    The new regulation is “going to throw public confidence in drinking water into chaos,” said Mike McGill, president of WaterPIO, a water industry communications firm.

    The American Water Works Association, an industry group, says it supports the development of PFAS limits in drinking water, but argues the EPA’s rule has big problems.

    The agency underestimated its high cost, which can’t be justified for communities with low levels of PFAS, and it’ll raise customer water bills, the association said. Plus, there aren’t enough experts and workers — and supplies of filtration material are limited.

    Work in some places has started. The company Veolia operates utilities serving about 2.3 million people across six eastern states and manages water systems for millions more. Veolia built PFAS treatment for small water systems that serve about 150,000 people. The company expects, however, that roughly 50 more sites will need treatment — and it’s working to scale up efforts to reduce PFAS in larger communities it serves.

    Such efforts followed dramatic shifts in EPA’s health guidance for PFAS in recent years as more research into its health harms emerged. Less than a decade ago, EPA issued a health advisory that PFOA and PFOS levels combined shouldn’t exceed 70 parts per trillion. Now, the agency says no amount is safe.

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    Michael Phillis

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  • Food packaging containing toxic

    Food packaging containing toxic

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    Fast-food wrappers and packaging that contain so-called forever chemicals are no longer being sold in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.

    It’s the result of a voluntary effort with U.S. food manufacturers to phase out food contact packaging made with PFAS, the acronym for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which do not degrade and can harm human health.

    Starting in 2020, the FDA obtained commitments from U.S. food manufacturers to phase out PFAS in wrappers, boxes and bags with coating to prevent grease, water and other liquids from soaking through.

    Many fast-food companies and other manufacturers, such as McDonald’s, stopped using wrappers containing PFAS before the original phase-out date, the agency added.

    PFAS have been linked to health problems affecting cholesterol levels, the function of the liver and the immune system and certain kinds of cancer.

    Ridding packaging of the chemicals is a “great step in the right direction,” said Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a pediatrics professor at the UW School of Medicine in Seattle, who has studied PFAS chemicals found in breast milk and elsewhere.

    Removing the packaging from the U.S. market eliminates “the primary source of dietary exposure” from certain food contact uses, the FDA said, but Sathyanarayana noted there are “many sources of PFAS in our environment.”

    Drinking water is a key one, Sathyanarayana said. Consumers concerned about PFAS levels can look at maps maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency to see if their water is affected and obtain filters to remove the chemicals.

    PFAS also accumulates in meat and dairy, she said, and advises people to cut back on those foods. She also recommended avoiding certain indoor cleaning solvents or products treated with water-resistant chemicals, as well as removing shoes indoors to keep from tracking PFAS into the house and washing your hands before eating or preparing food.

    “None of us can avoid it,” she said.

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  • Ohio residents still suffer health issues a year after toxic train derailment

    Ohio residents still suffer health issues a year after toxic train derailment

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    Ohio residents still suffer health issues a year after toxic train derailment – CBS News


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    It’s been one year since the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, and local residents are still dealing with the health and environmental consequences. Roxana Saberi reports.

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  • BPA, phthalates

    BPA, phthalates

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    Looking to reduce your exposure to plasticizers in the new year? Contrary to what you might think, shopping organic and avoiding plastic food packaging isn’t a surefire way to avoid harmful chemicals such as BPA and phthalates. 

    According to new research from Consumer Reports, phthalates and bisphenols — two chemicals linked to various health risks such as diabetes and hormone disruption — are “ubiquitous” among supermarket staples and fast foods, regardless of their packaging and ingredients and whether or not they are certified organic.

    Researchers found that 99% of the supermarket and fast foods they tested contained phthalates, also known as plasticizers, which are chemicals that are added to plastics to make them more flexible. In addition, 79% of the food samples contained bisphenol A (BPA), an industrial chemical used in plastic manufacturing, and other bisphenols.   

    Among the supermarket foods tested, Annie’s Organic Cheesy Ravioli proved to have the most phthalates at 53,579 per nanogram, followed by Del Monte sliced peaches which contain 24,928 phthalates per nanogram and Chicken of the Sea pink salmon, which has 24,321 phthalates per nanogram.


    Researchers strive to understand impact of microplastics on the oceans

    02:33

    The chemical levels found in those pre-packaged foods proved much higher than even those of several fast-food items CR tested, including McDonald’s Quarter Pounder With Cheese, which has 9,956 phthalates per nanogram and Little Caesars Classic Cheese Pizza (cardboard box) which contains 5,703 phthalates per nanogram. However, researchers found one fast-food favorite, Wendy’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets, had a whopping 33,980 phthalates per nanogram. 

    Just one product, a can of Polar Seltzer Raspberry Lime, tested negative for phthalates. 

    CR’s tested 85 foods for three bisphenols and 10 phthalates, as well as some of their common chemical substitutes, analyzing two or three samples of each product. The tested foods included prepared meals, fruits and vegetables, milk and other dairy products, baby food, fast food, meat and seafood, all of which came in various types of packaging, from cans to pouches to foil. 


    Your athletic wear could contain high levels of BPA: Here’s a list of brands affected

    00:22

    In several studies, phthalates have been linked to reproductive disorders and genital abnormalities, the National Research Council said in a 2008 report. Research on BPA, links the chemical to high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to Mayo Clinic. 

    Sparse and outdated regulations

    Previously thought to make their way into pre-packaged foods exclusively through packaging, plastic chemicals can leach into food products in a number of ways, Consumer Reports found. Phthalates can get into foods through tubing, conveyor belts and gloves used during food processing, as well as get into meat and produce through contaminated water and soil, according to CR. 

    Safety activists have long argued for a federal ban on the use of plasticizers in food packaging and processing, but have been mostly unsuccessful.

    In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration rejected a petition calling for a ban on the use of phthalates in food packaging and food processing. Few regulations restricting the use of phthalates exist and current thresholds for bisphenol A (BPA) and some other phthalates, are considered outmoded by many experts. 

    “Many of these thresholds do not reflect the most current scientific knowledge, and may not protect against all the potential health effects,” CR scientist Tunde Akinleye, who oversaw the tests, said in the report. “We don’t feel comfortable saying these levels are okay. They’re not.” 


    Michigan reaches settlement with plastic company in PFAS contamination case

    00:32

    Also, there’s a larger picture to be considered, he noted. Given our cumulative exposure to phthalates which are found in so many of the products we use and foods we eat each day, Akinleye says it is hard to quantify what levels of phthalates should be considered “safe” in any one single product. 

    “The more we learn about these chemicals, including how widespread they are, the more it seems clear that they can harm us even at very low levels,” he said.

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  • BPA, phthalates

    BPA, phthalates

    [ad_1]

    Looking to reduce your exposure to plasticizers in the new year? Contrary to what you might think, shopping organic and avoiding plastic food packaging isn’t a surefire way to avoid harmful chemicals such as BPA and phthalates. 

    According to new research from Consumer Reports, phthalates and bisphenols — two chemicals linked to various health risks such as diabetes and hormone disruption — are “widespread” among supermarket staples and fast foods, regardless of their packaging and ingredients and whether or not they are certified organic.

    Researchers found that 99% of the supermarket and fast foods they tested contained phthalates, also known as plasticizers, which are chemicals that are added to plastics to make them more flexible. In addition, 79% of the food samples contained bisphenol A (BPA), an industrial chemical used in plastic manufacturing, and other bisphenols. Both chemicals have been found in studies to be hazardous to health.

    Among the supermarket foods tested, Annie’s Organic Cheesy Ravioli proved to have the most phthalates at 53,579 per nanogram, followed by Del Monte sliced peaches which contain 24,928 phthalates per nanogram and Chicken of the Sea pink salmon, which has 24,321 phthalates per nanogram.

    The chemical levels found in those pre-packaged foods proved much higher than even those of several fast-food items CR tested, including McDonald’s Quarter Pounder With Cheese, which has 9,956 phthalates per nanogram and Little Caesars Classic Cheese Pizza (cardboard box) which contains 5,703 phthalates per nanogram. However, researchers found one fast-food favorite, Wendy’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets, had a whopping 33,980 phthalates per nanogram. 

    Just one product, a can of Polar Seltzer Raspberry Lime, tested negative for phthalates. 

    CR’s tested 85 foods for three bisphenols and 10 phthalates, as well as some of their common chemical substitutes, analyzing two or three samples of each product. The tested foods included prepared meals, fruits and vegetables, milk and other dairy products, baby food, fast food, meat and seafood, all of which came in various types of packaging, from cans to pouches to foil. 


    Your athletic wear could contain high levels of BPA: Here’s a list of brands affected

    00:22

    In several studies, phthalates have been linked to reproductive disorders and genital abnormalities, the National Research Council said in a 2008 report. Research on BPA, links the chemical to high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to Mayo Clinic. 

    Sparse and outdated regulations

    Previously thought to make their way into pre-packaged foods exclusively through packaging, plastic chemicals can leach into food products in a number of ways, Consumer Reports found. Phthalates can get into foods through tubing, conveyor belts and gloves used during food processing, as well as get into meat and produce through contaminated water and soil, according to CR. 

    Safety activists have long argued for a federal ban on the use of plasticizers in food packaging and processing, but have been mostly unsuccessful.

    In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration rejected a petition calling for a ban on the use of phthalates in food packaging and food processing. Few regulations restricting the use of phthalates exist and current thresholds for bisphenol A (BPA) and some other phthalates, are considered outmoded by many experts. 

    “Many of these thresholds do not reflect the most current scientific knowledge, and may not protect against all the potential health effects,” CR scientist Tunde Akinleye, who oversaw the tests, said in the report. “We don’t feel comfortable saying these levels are okay. They’re not.” 


    Michigan reaches settlement with plastic company in PFAS contamination case

    00:32

    Also, there’s a larger picture to be considered, he noted. Given our cumulative exposure to phthalates which are found in so many of the products we use and foods we eat each day, Akinleye says it is hard to quantify what levels of phthalates should be considered “safe” in any one single product. 

    “The more we learn about these chemicals, including how widespread they are, the more it seems clear that they can harm us even at very low levels,” he said.

    Elizabeth Napolitano


    elizabeth-napolitano-cbsmoneywatch.jpg

    Elizabeth Napolitano is a freelance reporter at CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and technology news. She also writes for CoinDesk. Before joining CBS, she interned at NBC News’ BizTech Unit and worked on the Associated Press’ web scraping team.

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  • PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Biosolids Waste Destroyed by General Atomics iSCWO System

    PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Biosolids Waste Destroyed by General Atomics iSCWO System

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    SAN DIEGO, August 21, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that its industrial Supercritical Water Oxidation (iSCWO) system successfully destroyed per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in biosolids waste from samples provided by two Southern California waste management facilities. GA-EMS is providing the test analysis to both companies to evaluate the potential for utilizing an on-site iSCWO system to destroy PFAS in biosolids. The test analysis will also be made available to other remediation companies upon request.

    “Wastewater treatment plants provide nutrient-rich biosolids filtered from wastewater to help amend and fertilize soil. PFAS is a unique class of forever chemicals that cannot be eliminated from biosolids using existing treatment processes,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Putting these contaminated biosolids back into the soil allows the PFAS to reenter the environment, perpetuating a constant cycle of contamination. Our proven iSCWO system offers remediation companies an effective solution to eliminate PFAS and other organic waste completely from biosolids, landfill leachate and wastewater before these toxic forever chemicals have another chance to be cycled back into our environment.”  

    GA-EMS’ iSCWO system processes organic waste with water in an extremely high temperature (650°C) and high pressure (4000 psi) environment to efficiently destroy both PFAS and other hazardous and non-hazardous waste. The system is safe to operate, environmentally sound, and cost-effective. There is no post-treatment required, no gas and liquid emissions to deal with, and no hazardous by-products to store, transport, or dispose of.  

    Tests were conducted at GA-EMS’s dedicated iSCWO full-scale test facility in San Diego, CA. In 2022, the EPA issued a detailed report documenting the first-ever test and verification of PFAS destruction efficiency greater than 99.99% using GA-EMS’ industrial-scale SCWO technology. For further information, visit www.ga.com/hazardous-waste-destruction.

    About General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems

    General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) Group is a global leader in the research, design, and manufacture of first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and power generation systems. GA-EMS’ history of research, development, and technology innovation has led to an expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions supporting aviation, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and processing and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide. 

    Media Contact

    EMS-MediaRelations@ga.com

    Source: General Atomics

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  • Shocking New Tap Water Pollution Revelation And Experts’ Solutions

    Shocking New Tap Water Pollution Revelation And Experts’ Solutions

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    “Nearly half of U.S. tap water has PFAs: Here’s Why ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Dangerous,” read the July 6, 2023 Forbes.com headline from breaking news staff writer Molly Bohannon’s article. If headlines could shout, this one would surely assault eardrums around the country.

    Bohannon covers the many known serious health risks in her article and the fact that concerns about these chemicals, found in a wide range of everyday products as well as in soil and water, are decades old. The fact that they’ve so extensively penetrated our water supply is seriously worrisome.

    “The scope of the contamination is shocking,” declared Eric Yeggy, technical affairs director for the Water Quality Association, a trade organization representing the water treatment industry. “Having been broadly used and unregulated for decades, PFAS have found their way into every corner of the world, including very remote places like the North Pole, the Tibetan Plateau, Antarctica, and base camp at Mount Everest. Virtually every human that has been tested has been found to have a cocktail of various PFAS in their blood,” he added.

    How do you know if the water coming into your home is safe, and what can you do about it if it’s not? I sent questions to experts in this area, including Yeggy, and am passing along their written responses, edited only for length and clarity, where needed.

    Background

    Tina Donda, vice president of water systems with the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials R&T product testing service, noted that these compounds are known as “forever chemicals” because they can last for thousands of years and are impossible to breakdown with currently available technology. “When products containing PFAS are disposed of or spilled into lakes and rivers, they have the potential to contaminate the water. Since these chemicals cannot be decomposed, they live there forever,” hence the moniker. (Note, some experts use PFAS, others PFAs.)

    Originally invented in the 1930s, these compounds show up in hundreds of consumer products today, and in firefighting foams and industrial processes. “In March 2023, the US EPA proposed legally enforceable levels for six PFAS in drinking water that would require monitoring of public water supplies,” Donda commented. She further noted, “The USGS report [citing 45% presence] found more risk of PFAS in the drinking water in urban regions, but it comes with a big caveat that data is lacking for private wells. It is likely that far more people are impacted by PFAS in their drinking water.”

    Health concerns with these compounds were recognized in the late 1990s to early 2000s, added David Purkiss, vice president of the water division of NSF (founded in 1944 as the National Sanitation Foundation). “These compounds are bio accumulative (concentrations build up in the body with continued exposure), mobile (spread easily) and persistent (do not degrade or are “forever”) in the environment.” Their widespread use was increasing the environmental burden and exceeding threshold levels for health concern, he added. This drove recent research and focus.

    Testing

    “Home water treatment systems designed to remove PFAS are widely available,” Yeggy commented. These include pitcher filters, refrigerator filters, under-counter filters, point-of-use reverse osmosis systems, all the way up to whole house systems. “Consumers should be aware that not all drinking water treatment systems are designed to remove PFAS, and many do not. The best practice is to ensure that a system has been independently certified to remove PFAS before making a purchasing decision,” he advised.

    “Check with your water utility company to see if they conduct regular testing for PFAS or other contaminants,” suggested San Francisco-based plumbing contractor Phil Hotarek. “Some utilities test their water supplies for PFAS and may share the results with customers upon request.” Not all forever chemicals are the same, he cautioned. “Therefore, it’s advisable to consult local authorities, health departments, or [your state water board] for specific information about contamination in your area. They can provide guidance on water testing, mitigation efforts, and any associated health risks.”

    If you don’t want to check yourself, you can hire an expert. Consumers can find a certified water treatment professional through a search tool on the WQA site, Yeggy said.

    Private Wells

    Since wells were not part of the testing sample used by USGS in reaching its 45% figure, (and are not routinely monitored by government agencies, as public water suppliers are), it’s unknown how many more households are affected. “For people on private wells – 15 million U.S. households, according to the CDC – they are responsible for their own testing,” Donda pointed out.

    “Several states have requirements for well water quality,” she noted, and added that some might start requiring forever chemicals become part of their testing program. “People may have to contact their water supplier to see if they have any information on completed PFAS testing. If not, they will need to send their water to a laboratory.” Your county or state health department can direct you to local labs for kits and testing, Purkiss offered.

    Filtration Solutions

    One piece of good news, Donda shared, is that the technologies that can reduce or remove forever chemicals can also remove other contaminants, like lead. “To know for sure,” she cautioned, “verify that the product is certified to reduce the specific chemical of concern.” IAPMO provides a listing on its site of products that it has tested and certified, searchable by chemical acronym, (e.g., PFOA, PFAS).

    “Water treatment devices that use activated carbon, reverse osmosis or ion exchange technology can be used to reduce the levels of PFAS compounds in treated water,” Purkiss noted, and they’re going to be equally effective for homes on private wells and municipal systems. “However,” he cautioned, “it is important to verify that the treatment units have been tested and certified by an accredited organization like NSF for the removal of PFAS compounds to ensure they meet the standard requirements.” Product packaging will show those certification marks, and organizations like IAPMO and NSF have online listings to verify those branding claims. (NSF’s can be found here). Look for perfluoroalkyl substances reduction on its page, he said.

    Purkiss estimated that certified point of use filtration devices to treat the water coming out of your faucets will cost from $100 to several hundred dollars. “If you want to treat all the water in your house, you will need a point-of-entry device. However currently there are not many point-of-entry devices certified.” The important thing with all of these treatment devices is to replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions, he advised.

    Hotarek recommends whole house filtration systems as the best option to his Northern California clients, but cost sometimes limits them to point-of-use products, he noted. “Most whole house filters last between eight and 10 years (pending usage) and require no maintenance until the filter expires.”

    When choosing a resource, the plumber suggested that you understand the installation process and requirements. “Consider factors such as available space, location of the filter, size of the pipe, and plumbing configuration. Ensure that the system can be properly installed in the home without significant modifications.”

    Household Impacts

    What if yours is one of the 45% of homes that has been impacted by forever chemicals? While your family’s health is the primary concern, there are other potential effects on your household, Hotarek cautioned.

    “Significant damage can be caused to appliances. Internal parts will fail sooner, systems will have a shorter lifespan and performance is decreased.” The same is true for water heaters, the plumber warned. If you’re not concerned about those possibilities, point of use filters at your kitchen and bathroom sinks and refrigerator can work. (Don’t forget the faucets in your bathrooms where you take medicines, vitamins, brush and floss your teeth!) WQA’s Yeggy observed that only a tiny percent of a home’s water use is for cooking and drinking. More than 98% is for irrigation, toilets, laundry, dishwashing and other applications, he commented.

    Wellness Disruptor

    Many Americans are adding wellness features to their homes in the form of steam showers and bidet-style toilets. These too are impacted by the presence of forever chemicals, Hotarek observed. Steam showers’ heating elements fail faster and the steam quality is poor, the plumber pointed out. “Not to mention, it is simply not healthy to inhale those chemicals while sitting in a steam room. Better water quality not only enhances the quality of the steam experience, but prolongs the life of the system and reduces the frequency of service calls.”

    When it comes to bidet functionality, their components are also affected by poor water quality and impacted valves can start leaking. On a hygienic level, introducing those chemicals to your intimate cleansing ritual isn’t ideal either.

    Smart Home Technology

    When it comes to whole house filtration, tying into a wellness-focused smart home technology system is a viable option, and forever chemical filtration is an increasing client priority, one of the category’s leaders observed. “As early as 2018, we started tracking PFAS,” recalled Kelly Eager, an architect and wellness design team leader for Delos. “We became more focused on evaluating and curating our offering of water filtration technologies that can address forever chemicals in mid-2022.”

    The wellness technology firm’s products are NSF-certified, Eager reported. “Depending on the requirements of the home, the residents, and the plumbing design, these water solutions can treat 100% of the water in the home (e.g., hot and cold water for all fixtures),” she added. The company also offers point of use filtration products.

    Last Words

    “Water is life,” Hotarek summarized. “Think about all the essentials in life that require water: cooking, cleaning, appliances, drinking, bathing, etc.” Keeping your water supply safer and healthier can reap health and household dividends.

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  • 7/6: Prime Time with John Dickerson

    7/6: Prime Time with John Dickerson

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    7/6: Prime Time with John Dickerson – CBS News


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    John Dickerson reports on sweltering temperatures across the country, a new study on “forever chemicals” in tap water, and the competition between Twitter and Threads.

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  • Proposed rule on PFAS

    Proposed rule on PFAS

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    A proposed federal rule calls for forcing companies to disclose whether their products contain toxic “forever” chemicals, the government’s first attempt at cataloging the pervasiveness of PFAS across the United States.

    The Environmental Protection Agency rule would require manufacturers to report many products that contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They’re a family of chemicals that don’t degrade in nature and have been linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormone irregularities.

    Companies would have to disclose any PFAS that have been manufactured or imported between 2011 and when the rule takes effect, with no exemptions for small businesses or for impurities or byproducts cross-contaminating goods with PFAS. Those disclosures would be available to the public, barring any trade secrets linked to the data. The EPA will finalize the rule in the coming months, agency spokesperson Catherine Milbourn said, then require companies to report back within 12 months.

    The effort excludes pesticides, foods and food additives, drugs, cosmetics, or medical devices regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, Milbourn said. It also is essentially a one-time reporting and record-keeping requirement — and companies wouldn’t need to provide updates.

    Still, the chemical and semiconductor industries are grumbling about what the EPA estimated is a potential $1 billion cost to comply with the rule. The U.S. chemical industry says it generates more than $500 billion annually.

    On the other side, environmental health activists say the data collection exercise would be flawed, as it accounts for only a tenth of the more than 12,000 PFAS chemicals, which are used in everything from nonstick cookware to kids’ school uniforms. Moreover, they say, it wouldn’t stop PFAS from making their way into the air, waste, or consumer products, nor would it clean up existing contamination.

    Congress gave the EPA the power to track PFAS chemicals in 2016, when it revised the Toxic Substances Control Act. Then a bipartisan effort in 2019, which Republican President Donald Trump signed into law, called for the EPA to inventory PFAS. However, health activists warn that unless Congress overhauls U.S. chemical laws to give the EPA and other agencies more power, PFAS will continue to threaten humans and the environment.

    These so-called forever chemicals went from marvel to bête noire in just 50 years. When PFAS debuted, they were revered for making Teflon pans nonstick and Gore-Tex jackets waterproof. They are effective at repelling water and oil yet so durable they don’t break down in the natural environment. That strength has become their downfall, as the chemicals accumulate in landfills, soil, drinking water supplies, and, ultimately, human bodies. As scientists learn more about PFAS’ toxic nature, governments around the world have set limits or imposed outright bans.

    A scientist collects water to test for chemical contamination
    The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency collects samples of treated Lake Michigan water in a lab at the water treatment plant in Wilmette, Illinois, on July 3, 2021. 

    Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images


    Because PFAS are found in thousands of products — contact lenses, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals such as Prozac, paper plates, clothing, and dental floss, to name just a few — regulators are scrambling to gather data on the scope of the PFAS threat. The EPA data collection proposal is a move in that direction.

    Milbourn told KFF Health News that 1,364 types of PFAS may be covered by the rule, and EPA officials are reviewing public comments they received to determine whether they should modify its scope to capture additional substances.

    By contrast, the European Union is discussing banning or limiting 10,000 PFAS chemicals, according to Hanna-Kaisa Torkkeli, a spokesperson for the European Chemicals Agency.

     “In the U.S., chemicals are innocent until proven guilty,” said Kyla Bennett, director of science policy at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit based outside Washington, D.C. “In the EU and Japan, chemicals are guilty until proven safe — and that’s why they have fewer PFAS.”

    That lack of regulation in the U.S. is driving states to take matters into their own hands, pursuing PFAS bans as gridlock and industry lobbying in Washington thwart tougher federal laws. Minnesota’s crackdown on PFAS limits the chemicals in menstrual products, cleaning ingredients, cookware, and dental floss. Maine’s law will ban all avoidable uses of PFAS by 2030. Vermont and California ban PFAS in food packaging.

    “The states are acting because our federal system doesn’t currently allow the government to say ‘no more use of PFAS,’” said Liz Hitchcock, director of the federal policy program at Toxic-Free Future, a national advocacy group. “And even if it did, that wouldn’t clean up the mess already made.”

    U.S. courts are also weighing in on PFAS contamination. On June 22, 3M agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle lawsuits by communities around the country that argued their drinking water was contaminated by the company’s PFAS-containing products.

    OPED-PA-FOREVER-CHEMICALS-EDITORIAL-TB
    The 3M plant in Cordova, Illinois, on May 10, 2022. 3M is one of the chief manufacturers of PFAS. 

    Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images


    Additionally, the U.S. military is moving to limit PFAS, after a report said more than 600,000 troops were exposed to the toxic chemicals in drinking water contaminated largely by PFAS-laden firefighting foam.

    Just cleaning up PFAS waste at U.S. military bases could cost at least $10 billion. Removing it from U.S. drinking water supplies could add more than $3.2 billion annually to the bill, according to a report commissioned by the American Water Works Association.

    “The CDC estimates that 99% of Americans have PFAS in their blood,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that researches the ingredients in household and consumer products. “We estimate that 200 million Americans are exposed to PFAS in their drinking water right now.”

    As ubiquitous as PFAS are, the reason they haven’t generated more outrage among the public may be that the damage from PFAS chemicals isn’t immediate. They affect health over time, with repeated exposure.

    “People aren’t getting headaches or coughing from exposure to PFAS,” Bennett said. “But they are getting cancer a few years down the line — and they don’t understand why.”

    Some environmental health advocates, such as Arthur Bowman III, policy director at the Center for Environmental Health, say the EPA’s data collection project could help. “It will be fairly straightforward for the EPA to gather PFAS information on cleaning products and other wet chemicals that contain PFAS,” Bowman said. “And this will lead to phaseouts of PFAS.”

    Some retailers, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and REI, have recently announced plans to remove the chemicals from many of their products.

    But Bowman said it will be more difficult for manufacturers to remove PFAS used in the production of semiconductor chips and printed circuit boards, since alternative products are still in the research phase.

    The Semiconductor Industry Association has asked the EPA for an exemption to the proposed reporting requirements because, it maintains, semiconductor manufacturing is so complex that it would be “impossible, even with an unlimited amount of time and resources, to discern the presence (if any) of PFAS in such articles.” Other industries have also asked for waivers.

    The American Chemistry Council, which represents large PFAS manufacturers such as 3M, disagrees with those calling for the entire class of PFAS chemicals to be banned. “Individual chemistries have their own unique properties and uses, as well as environmental and health profiles,” said Tom Flanagin, a spokesperson for the trade group.

    While the council’s member companies “support strong, science-based regulations of PFAS chemistries that are protective of human health and the environment,” Flanagin said, the rules shouldn’t harm economic growth “or hamper businesses and consumers from accessing the products they need.”

    For their part, some environmental advocates welcome the reporting proposal, expecting it to reveal new and surprising uses of PFAS. “However, it’s going to be a snapshot,” said Sonya Lunder, the senior toxics policy adviser for the Sierra Club.

    Lunder said even if PFAS were found in, for example, brands of baby bibs, pesticide containers, or pet food bags, it isn’t clear which federal agency would regulate the products. She said Americans should demand that Congress add PFAS and other harmful chemicals to all major environmental statutes for water, air, food, and consumer products.

    And another worry: If the data does make it into the mainstream, will consumers simply tune it out — just as many do with California’s multitudinous cancer warning signs? Lunder doesn’t think so, since “the audience is scientists, regulators, and — for better or for worse — tort attorneys.”

    Benesh, of the Environmental Working Group, said the disclosures could reach further and “embolden consumers to demand even more market change.”

    KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

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  • 3M in $10.3 billion settlement over

    3M in $10.3 billion settlement over

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    Traverse City, Mich. — Chemical manufacturer 3M Co. will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products, the company said Thursday.

    The deal would compensate water providers for pollution with per- and polyfluorinated substances, known collectively as PFAS – a broad class of chemicals used in nonstick, water- and grease-resistant products such as clothing and cookware.

    Described as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade naturally in the environment, PFAS have been linked to a variety of health problems, including liver and immune-system damage and some cancers.

    The compounds have been detected at varying levels in drinking water around the nation. The Environmental Protection Agency in March proposed strict limits on two common types, PFOA and PFOS, and said it wanted to regulate four others. Water providers would be responsible for monitoring their systems for the chemicals.

    The agreement would settle a case that was scheduled for trial earlier this month involving a claim by Stuart, Florida, one of about 300 communities that have filed similar suits against companies that produced firefighting foam or the PFAS it contained.

    3M chairman Mike Roman said the deal was “an important step forward” that builds on the company’s decision in 2020 to phase out PFOA and PFOS and its investments in “state-of-the-art water filtration technology in our chemical manufacturing operations.” The company, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, will halt all PFAS production by the end of 2025, he said.

    3M said its participation in the settlement “is not an admission of liability” and said if it was rejected in court, “3M is prepared to continue to defend itself.”  

    The settlement will be paid over 13 years and could reach as high as $12.5 billion, depending on how many public water systems detect PFAS during testing that EPA has required in the next three years, said Dallas-based attorney Scott Summy, one of the lead attorneys for those suing 3M and other manufacturers.

    The payment will help cover costs of filtering PFAS from systems where it’s been detected and testing others, he said.

    “The result is that millions of Americans will have healthier lives without PFAS in their drinking water,” Summy said.

    Earlier this month, three other companies – DuPont de Nemours Inc. and spinoffs Chemours Co. and Corteva Inc. – reached a $1.18 billion deal to resolve PFAS complaints by about 300 drinking water providers. A number of states, airports, firefighter training facilities and private well owners also have sued.

    The cases are pending in U.S. District Court in Charleston, South Carolina, where Judge Richard Gergel is overseeing thousands of complaints alleging PFAS damages.

    Most of the lawsuits have stemmed from firefighter training exercises at airports, military bases and other sites around the U.S. that repeatedly used foams laced with high concentrations of PFAS, Summy said.

    The 3M settlement is subject to court approval, he said.

    3M’s website says the company helped the U.S. Navy develop foams containing PFAS chemicals in the 1960s.

    “This was an important and life-saving tool that helped combat dangerous fires, like those caused by jet fuel,” the company said.

    The cost of cleansing PFAS from U.S. water systems eventually could go much higher than the sums agreed to in the settlements, Summy acknowledged.

    “I’m not sure anyone knows what that ultimate number will be,” he said. “But I do think this is going to make a huge dent in that cost … and you don’t have to litigate for the next decade or longer.”

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  • Global brands lied about toxic

    Global brands lied about toxic

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    Companies making so-called “forever chemicals” knew they were toxic decades before health officials, but kept that information hidden from the public, according to a peer-reviewed study of previously secret industry documents.

    The new study in the Annals of Global Health concluded that 3M and DuPont, the largest makers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, actively suppressed evidence that the chemicals were hazardous since the 1960s, long before public health research caught up.

    “The chemical industry took a page out of the tobacco playbook when they discovered and suppressed their knowledge of health harms caused by exposure to PFAS,” researchers claimed in a statement.

    “These documents reveal clear evidence that the chemical industry knew about the dangers of PFAS and failed to let the public, regulators and even their own employees know the risks,” the paper’s senior author, Tracey Woodruff, said in a statement.

    PFAS are a range of chemicals used for their slippery or lubricating properties. Teflon and ScotchGuard are the best known brands of this chemical coating, but there are more than 12,000 types of these chemicals, according to the paper. First commercially produced in the 1940s, PFAS were used widely in cookware, fabrics, food packaging and insulation — and today they are ubiquitous in human bodies.

    The chemicals, now linked to cancer, birth defects and other illnesses were believed to be “biologically inert” until studies published in the late ’90s revealed their toxicity.

    But for 40 years before then, the makers of PFAS-based products already knew that these chemicals could be toxic to animals and humans, but withheld that information in violation of public health laws, the study revealed. Internal “documents were all marked as ‘confidential,’ and in some cases, industry executives were explicit that they ‘wanted this memo destroyed’,” the report said.


    Forever chemicals: The threat of PFAS in our water

    11:21

    A Teflon company report from 1961 found that low doses of the material made rats’ livers grow and advised that the substance “be handled ‘with extreme care’ and that ‘contact with the skin should be strictly avoided,’” the paper showed. 

    Researchers at a DuPont-funded lab discovered by 1970 that C-8, an older name for the chemicals, was “highly toxic when inhaled and moderately toxic when ingested,” and a 1979 report found that dogs exposed to one dose of PFOA died two days later.

    In 1980, DuPont and 3M learned of eight pregnant women who worked in the manufacturing of PFAS, two of whom gave birth to children with birth defects. The two companies not only hid that information from their workers, but DuPont sent an internal memo the following year saying, “We know of no evidence of birth defects caused by C-8 at DuPont.”

    In a statement, DuPont said it could not comment on the findings because of a corporate reorganization.

    “In 2019, DuPont de Nemours was established as a new multi-industrial specialty products company. DuPont de Nemours has never manufactured PFOA or PFOS,” spokesperson Dan Turner said. “DuPont de Nemours cannot comment on allegations contained in the UCSF paper that relate to historical E.I. du Pont de Nemours matters.”


    Toxic chemicals found in U.S. farmland

    02:40

    3M noted that “The paper is largely comprised of previously published documents — as evidenced by the paper’s references section, which includes citations dating back as far as 1962.”

    “3M has previously addressed many of the mischaracterizations of these documents in previous reporting,” the company said, without specifying what those were.

    Some public health researchers said the evidence unearthed in this paper shows that companies can’t be trusted to monitor their own adherence to public health laws and safety standards, and that regulators need to take a harsher stance with makers of potentially dangerous products.

    “Like Big Tobacco, the major chemical manufacturers have a vested financial interest in suppressing scientific evidence of the harms of their products, while maintaining the public perception that their products are safe,” the study’s authors wrote. “The U.S.’s failure to shift the burden of proof to the industry with respect to chemical policy means that we may always be chasing the devil they knew, rather than defending public health from the outset.”

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  • Toxic chemicals found in U.S. farmland

    Toxic chemicals found in U.S. farmland

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    Toxic chemicals found in U.S. farmland – CBS News


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    Toxic PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” have been found in farmland soil throughout the U.S. One family in Maine had to give up their farming dreams because of contaminated soil. Roxana Saberi reports.

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  • Toxic

    Toxic

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    Adam Nordell and his wife Johanna bought Songbird Farm in Maine back in 2014 with the hopes of raising organic produce and a family.

    Seven years later, they learned their land was riddled with chemicals called PFAS, a family of thousands of toxic compounds known as “forever chemicals” because of how long they last in the environment. 

    PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been used for decades since their introduction in the mid-1900s. They were integral components of the Teflon used in nonstick cookware, waterproof fabrics and even cosmetics. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to numerous health issues such as kidney and testicular cancer, liver damage and high cholesterol, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    The toxins at Songbird Farm were traced to sludge — the solids left after wastewater is treated — that was spread as fertilizer in the 1990s.

    “It contained a whole host of industrial chemicals,” Adam Nordell told CBS News.

    He said tests found that their water and some crops had dangerously high levels of PFAS. His family was also exposed, and the levels in their blood was 250 times higher than average, he said.

    “Living with the exposure is terrifying,” Adam Nordell said. “I feel like I have a poorly wired time bomb inside of me.”

    He has turned from working his farm to working for an environmental advocacy group called Defend Our Health that’s pushing for new laws to help other farmers with dreams spoiled by forever chemicals.

    A recent study estimated that sludge, like what was applied at Songbird Farm, has also been spread on 5% of all farmland in the U.S. But not all sludge contains toxic chemicals.

    The Food and Drug Administration told CBS News in an email that the U.S. food supply is “among the safest in the world,” adding that it regularly tests food products, and that very few have detectable levels of PFAS. Those that do have them have low levels, the FDA said.

    Elsie Sunderland, a member of the Harvard Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, studies PFAS pollution. She said the government’s approach toward PFAS is “ambitious yet fragmented.”

    “If we’re really concerned about this, concerned about PFAS and our everyday exposure, we should be proactive and we should be banning these chemicals from non-essential uses,” she said.

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  • FIREBULL(R) AB Receives Listing as GreenScreen Certified(TM) Silver Firefighting Product

    FIREBULL(R) AB Receives Listing as GreenScreen Certified(TM) Silver Firefighting Product

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    PEACHTREE CITY, Ga., May 2, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Enforcer One, LLC, manufacturer of Enforcer® Compressed Air Foam Systems and FIREBULL® Fluorine Free Products in Peachtree City, Georgia, announces NEW FIREBULL AB as a GreenScreen Certified™ Silver Firefighting Product. FIREBULL products are 100% fluorine free. Clean Production Action through their rigorous GreenScreen Certified™ standard certifies products as fluorine free* and prohibits thousands of other chemicals of concern for human and environmental health. The certification demonstrates Enforcer One’s commitment to developing environmentally safer firefighting products while matching the fire performance standards of traditional Class A and B foams that fire departments are moving away from due to the potential to introduce PFAS into the environment.

    Enforcer One sought to produce alternatives to AFFF without relying on constituents that have more immediate toxic and caustic impact than fluorinated foams. The GreenScreen Certified™ Firefighting Foam Standard requires total organic fluorine of the product as sold to be less than 1 part per million as demonstrated by analytical testing, in addition to meeting testing requirements for aquatic toxicity of alga, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. The standard also includes an evaluation of each chemical present in raw materials above stringent thresholds against a comprehensive restricted substances lists and GreenScreen® hazard assessment and/or screening tools.

    FIREBULL® AB joins the catalogue of UL listed FIREBULL 3% SFFF and UL Listed FIREBULL 6% SFFF, which were introduced in 2019 as fluorine free Class B foams for large volume flammable liquid fires. FIREBULL AB is a new Class A and Class B wetting agent which fills the gap for fire departments struggling with high viscosity fluorine free foams for daily use in standard equipment. FIREBULL AB is rated at 0.25% for Class A fires and as low as 0.25% to 3% for Class B fire extinguishment, a first for a GreenScreen Certified™ Silver Firefighting Product. This low application rate for Class B foams encourages departments to use less product to extinguish Class B fires than other products allow, while maximizing water performance and minimizing water usage and time on scene. FIREBULL AB viscosity is equal to 20 cps, which makes this product more compatible with onboard systems, eductors, and standard firefighting equipment than thicker fluorine free products. FIREBULL AB has a Ph of 7.1, indicating no corrosive properties. For these qualities, plus an unlimited shelf-life when stored in its original container, FIREBULL AB is Enforcer One’s challenge to its biggest competitor FireAde®, which is rated at 0.5% for Class B extinguishment and 0.25% for Class A extinguishment. 

    Enforcer One, LLC is also the manufacturer of Enforcer® Compressed Air Foam Systems, which maximizes FIREBULL AB performance in a small, portable CAFS system with minimal working parts. Fire Departments worldwide are enjoying the accessibility that Enforcer CAF Systems provide for rapid fire suppression with limited water access. Enforcer CAFS maximize water performance while minimizing water consumption with the addition of FIREBULL AB for up to 20:1 foam expansion in firefighting operations.

    GreenScreen Certified™ is a registered trademark of Clean Production Action.

    *”Fluorine free” means the product has zero intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and PFAS contamination in the product is less than (1 part per million) total organic fluorine as measured by combustion ion chromatography.

    FIREBULL® is a registered trademark of Enforcer One, LLC. 

    For more information, visit www.enforcerone.com/firebull or call 678-788-8413

    Source: Enforcer One, LLC

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  • Fish contaminated with

    Fish contaminated with

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    Fish contaminated with “forever chemicals” found in nearly every state – CBS News


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    A recent study has found that freshwater fish contaminated with toxic PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” have been found in nearly every state. PFAS are linked to a host of health issues, including cancer and liver problems. Roxana Saberi reports.

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  • Raincoats, undies, school uniforms: Are your clothes dripping in

    Raincoats, undies, school uniforms: Are your clothes dripping in

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    There could be more than just fashion risks involved when buying a pair of leggings or a raincoat.

    Just how much risk is still not clear, but toxic chemicals have been found in hundreds of consumer products and clothing bought off the racks nationwide.

    Thousands of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, exist since the first ones were invented in the 1940s to prevent stains and sticking. PFAS chemicals are used in nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing and firefighting foam. Their manufacture and persistence in products have contaminated drinking water nationwide. Also known as “forever chemicals,” these substances do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in our bodies over time.

    Drinking water is widely considered the greatest source of potential exposure and harm. And, in March, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first national standard for PFAS levels in drinking water. But the chemicals can also pollute soil, fish, livestock, and food products. Researchers say they are present in the blood of nearly all Americans.

    Until now, federal regulations on PFAS in consumer products have largely focused on a handful of the older-generation forever chemicals, such as PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid. But new state-level laws are targeting all forever chemicals. 

    Consumers concerned about clothing are also turning to the courts. A torrent of recent class-action lawsuits claim brands falsely advertise their products as environmentally sustainable or healthy while containing toxic levels of PFAS chemicals. In January, Thinx, which makes reusable period underwear, agreed to pay up to $5 million to settle a suit. Another lawsuit, against REI, largely targeting its raincoat line, is proceeding in court.

    From production to being worn, washed, and then disposed, “PFAS in clothing and textiles can lead to harmful exposures,” claimed Avinash Kar, a senior attorney at the National Resources Defense Council, an international nonprofit environmental advocacy organization.

    Although the full health risks of wearing togs alleged to be toxic are still unknown, the potential implications are wide-reaching. A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine linked PFAS exposure to cancer, thyroid dysfunction, small changes in birth weight, and high cholesterol, among other concerns.

    So how concerned should consumers be about wearing clothing with forever chemicals in them?

    PFAS have been found in a wide variety of garments such as rain jackets, hiking pants, shirts and yoga pants and sports bras made by popular brands like Lululemon and Athleta.

    Forever chemicals are used as surface treatments to block water and stains. In fact, a 2022 report by Toxic-Free Future, an environmental health research and advocacy organization, found that nearly three-quarters of products labeled as water- or stain-resistant tested positive for them.

    The group points to research demonstrating that fabrics with that type of PFAS, called side-chain fluorinated polymers, emit volatile chemicals into the air and, when washed, into the water. “What you can expect is that a raincoat that has this surface treatment, over time, is releasing PFAS to the environment,” said Erika Schreder, Toxic-Free Future’s science director.

    PFAS can also be used as a membrane — a thin layer sandwiched in the fabric that blocks water from passing through. This technology is found in products made with Gore-Tex. Such breathable yet waterproof layers of fabric are used in jackets, pants, boots, and gloves in dozens of brands of outdoors wear. Sometimes, garments have both membranes and surface treatments.

    A study published last year by the American Chemical Society found textile products sold in the U.S. and Canada contained high concentrations of PFAS in materials used in children’s uniforms marketed as stain-resistant.

    “This was concerning to us because these uniforms are on up to eight or 10 hours a day, every day, by children during their school year,” said Marta Venier, an assistant professor at Indiana University-Bloomington and co-author of the study. “Children are particularly susceptible to exposure to chemicals because their organs are still developing.”

    But skin-touching fabric is only one way people are likely to be exposed to these chemicals. PFAS have found their way into most households through water, air, dust, and soap. PFAS can also shed from carpeting or furniture, as well as fabric treatments sprayed on furniture and clothing.

    Studying skin or “dermal exposure” from wearing fabric is particularly tricky. Just because a product contains PFAS doesn’t mean the chemical will travel from that jacket or pair of shorts across the skin into the bloodstream, said Stuart Harrad, a professor of environmental chemistry at the University of Birmingham.

    So far, Harrad has found that PFAS can end up — either from fabric or dust particles — in the skin’s oil and sweat. But more research needs to be done to examine whether those chemicals transfer into the blood. “From what we’ve seen, it’s certainly something that we shouldn’t be ignoring,” he said.

    In general, however, it’s harder for PFAS chemicals to enter the body through transdermal exposure than through the digestive system, said Dr. Ned Calonge, associate dean for public health practice of the Colorado School of Public Health who co-authored the national academies’ report.

    Levi Strauss has halted using the chemicals. Other brands, such as Patagonia, L.L. Bean, Lululemon and Eddie Bauer, have pledged to phase them out in the next few years. In late February, REI released updated standards that require most cookware and textile products to be PFAS-free by fall 2024. The retailer said in a statement last year that it has been “working for years to phase out PFAS” and is “testing new alternatives.”

    W.L. Gore & Associates, inventor of Gore-Tex and a giant manufacturer of weather-repellent fabric, said it plans to “transition the vast majority of its consumer portfolio by end of 2025.” Last year, the company debuted a membrane that uses non-fluorinated materials and can be found in jackets sold by Arc’teryx, Patagonia, and other brands.

    Still, without oversight, corporate commitments are not a guarantee, and there’s always concern of contamination, PFAS experts said. Gore, for example, said years ago that the company had eliminated PFOA from its materials. But in its testing last year, Toxic-Free Future found it in REI Gore-Tex rain jackets. Gore spokesperson Amy Calhoun rebutted those findings and said the company considers itself a leader in “responsible chemical management.”

    People in the chemical field view this as an inflection point and are watching closely as companies phase out forever chemicals and pressing for transparency about what alternatives are chosen and how safe they might be.

    The EPA has set out to regulate some older-generation chemicals generally found in imported products. Those have also been banned in the European Union and phased out by major U.S. manufacturers, often replaced by newer-generation PFAS, which leave the body more swiftly and are less likely to build up in organs. “When discussing the broad group of chemicals known as PFAS, it is important to note not all PFAS are the same,” said Calhoun. Some Gore products use PTFE, a polymer the company says is “of low concern.” According to a growing body of research, though, these newer PFAS often have similar levels of toxicity.

    Stricter, state-level bans targeting apparel are rolling out. Maine now requires companies to report PFAS in their products to state officials. The chemicals will be fully banned there by the start of 2030, while Washington state will restrict PFAS in apparel as well as in other consumer products by 2025.

    The most important legislation has come in two states with large consumer markets that manufacturers would be loath to avoid, effectively setting a standard for the nation. A New York law signed in late December bans the sale of garments with PFAS by the end of 2023. A California law passed last year restricts companies from manufacturing, distributing, or selling PFAS-containing clothing beginning in 2025, but those rules won’t apply to extreme weather and personal protective apparel until 2028.

    So where does that leave consumers? Calonge said that people who already have high levels of PFAS in their blood serum should have a heightened sense of awareness about the clothing they wear. Community-level blood testing is underway in areas with known PFAS exposure, but individuals can also seek it out by asking their doctors.

    “That’s when I would make a decision to not wear clothing that I know has PFAS in it,” he said.

    Without sound evidence linking skin exposure from clothing to upticks in PFAS in blood serum levels, Calonge said, for now, decisions are largely left up to risk tolerance.

    He personally draws the line at using dental floss brands shown to contain forever chemicals.

    KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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  • The world’s largest surfing wave pool just opened in Oahu as Hawaiians continue to face a water crisis

    The world’s largest surfing wave pool just opened in Oahu as Hawaiians continue to face a water crisis

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    Oahu, the Hawaiian island known for having some of the best surfing in the world, has a new site on its shoreline — a freshwater pool dubbed the “world’s largest deep-water standing surf wave.” But the wave pool, filled with water from the fragile aquifer, opened amid an ongoing water crisis, riling up many who say the tourist attraction arrives as locals are suffering. 

    Wai Kai Commerical Development announced the pool in January 2021 as part of a $40 million recreation hub called The LineUp at WaiKai. The group said it’s the “world’s largest deep-water standing surf wave” called Wai Kai Wave – measuring 100 feet wide – and that hub also features a 52-acre recreational lagoon that will each be “first-of-its-kind attractions.” 

    The Ewa Beach wave pool holds 1.7 million gallons of fresh water – the amount equivalent to about 2.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools. And the water for it was taken from the aquifer, a resource that’s become increasingly fragile on the island as recent and wide-scale water contamination events and environmental issues have strained locals’ ability to access fresh water for their basic day-to-day needs.

    Shane-Beschen
    Shane Beschen Surfing The Wai Kai Wave

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    “Forever chemicals” in wave pool water source

    Larry Caster, director of retail development at Wai Kai, told CBS News that the water in the pool comes is provided by the city and county of Honolulu via the Makakilo Well, which is also used to provide water to residents and businesses in the area. The decision to use this water source, he said, was made “after consulting with scientists and others.”

    And its use of that well only highlights a major problem that has been plaguing the island’s freshwater system: PFAS. 

    Also known as “forever chemicals,” per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are human-made chemicals that take a significantly long period of time to break down and are found in many areas of daily life, allowing them to easily build up in the body and the environment. 

    These contaminants have been making headlines in Hawaii after it was discovered that about 1,100 gallons of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) were released from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility in November 2022, releasing excessive levels of PFAS into the surrounding area. That same storage facility, situated less than 20 miles away, is also the site of a massive jet fuel leak in 2021. 

    In February, the state’s Department of Health announced that the Makakilo Well was found to have at least one of the thousands of types of these chemicals in its water – Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA). This substance, the DOH said, is “not a regulated drinking water contaminant” and is one of several “PFAS of concern” that’s been found widespread in the environment and requires further study. 

    screen-shot-2023-03-28-at-12-02-38-pm.png
    PFAS detections in drinking water reported to the Hawaii Department of Health as of February 24, 2023.

    Hawaii Department of Health


    They did say that the amount of the contaminant found in the well was “well below” environmental action level standards, but those standards are set by the state and the chemical was not included in the EPA’s recent proposal for a first-ever national limit on PFAS in drinking water.

    “Although long-term consumption of drinking water with PFAS could be a health risk, the low levels of PFAS in the Ewa-Waianae water system are not an acute health threat,” the Department of Health said in February. “No immediate action is necessary for the system’s users. However, those concerned may use a home filtration option to reduce PFAS.”

    A spokesperson for The LineUp told CBS News that the wave pool operates under the same rules as swimming pools in Hawaii and as such, is “regularly tested and treated as required by the Hawaii State Department of Health.” 

    They have not yet responded to CBS News’ request about the last testing date and the PFAS levels recorded.

    “A sore spot for our community” 

    The Honolulu Board of Water Supply, which has voiced significant concern about the island’s water issues, approved the opening of Wai Kai Wave – but not without pause. 

    Ernest Lau, manager and chief engineer of the Board of Water Supply, told CBS News that the wave pool’s opening is “unfortunate,” but those in charge of the site had a long-standing water meter and the board doesn’t have policies that say pools such as this are not allowed. 

    “The wave pool, that’s a sore spot for our community,” he said. “And we’re learning from that.”

    With nearly 1 million people who reside on the island of Oahu and millions more who visit every year, conserving fresh water is crucial.

    “As an island state, Hawaii has limited access to natural fresh water supplies,” the state’s Commission on Water Resource Management says on its website. “Competition for fresh water, increasing population and development pressures, the rising awareness of environmental water needs, and the impacts of global climate change require that Hawaii become as efficient as possible in its uses of limited fresh water supplies.” 

    The island has long struggled with droughts, and in recent years has seen “severe” circumstances, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Although not currently in such conditions, 47% of the state’s streamflow sites are below normal, according to the USGS.

    Lau told CBS News the wave pool is no exception to water conservation efforts.

    “It is going to use a lot of fresh water to fill the pool. And every five years, they’re going to have to change that water in the pool, so it is a large use of fresh water periodically,” Lau said, adding that developers told him using seawater or recycled wastewater instead “was not an option they really could handle.” 

    The Board of Water Supply has urged the developers to “practice good water conservation,” Lau said, but ultimately the decision to do so is “up to them.” 

    But should there be a shortage and the board imposes water restrictions, wave pool operators “would also have to cut back on their usage like everybody else,” Lau said.

    The LineUp developers do have a number of sustainability efforts they have or plan to implement, including plans to become a Sustainable Tourism and Outdoors Kit for Evaluation (STOKE)-certified surf park. Caster said they will also donate money to water and marine life restoration programs and will not allow single-use plastics on the property. 

    But for local resident and water rights activist Healani Sonoda-Pale, the opening of the wave pool is “insanity.” 

    “They’re opening the largest wave pool on the island of Oahu in a water crisis,” she told CBS News. “…They’re 100 feet away from families who don’t have access to clean drinking water. And there you see the dichotomy of the haves and the have-nots of how industry will continue, despite the fact that their neighbors are suffering.” 

    In the nearby residential area Kapilina Beach Homes, residents there have experienced water contamination issues since jet fuel leaked into the water system from Red Hill in 2021. As of November, many people there – which is about 5 miles from The LineUp – were still reporting signs of contamination, according to local reports, and volunteers continue to distribute bottled water at the homes every month. 

    “It’s right next to a surf spot. It’s not needed,” Sonoda-Pale said of The LineUp. “It’s a waste of clean drinking water and it’s all serving the tourist industry.” 

    Wayne Tanaka, director of the Sierra Club of Hawaii, told CBS News the wave pool is a “bizarre arrangement.” 

    “Using potable water in the middle of a water crisis to support this profit-seeking enterprise is just yet another example of where Western assumptions and priorities have really overtaken the understanding that water is a precious and finite resource,” Tanaka said, “and that we have to protect it and use it for the benefit of all and not just treat it as a commodity.” 

    When asked about the criticism the wave pool is facing, Caster said those in charge of the site are aware of the “questions and confusion” about the water usage. He said that the daily demand for water will be limited to what needs to be refilled with evaporation. 

    “Many of our neighbors are very excited about the opening and look forward to experiencing the outdoor recreation, new restaurants, waterfront promenade and more,” he said, adding that they will seek ways to conserve water and implement “best management practices wherever we can.” 

    Li Cohen


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    Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

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