We’re well within the third act of that script when it comes to PFAS, with many researchers and consumers calling on industries and institutions to phase these chemicals out of their products, manufacturing processes and general use, and instead pursue safer alternatives that serve similar functions. and a tool to help evaluate results for people whose blood was tested for PFAS. This site offers a wealth of information on PFAS, including a map of known and suspected contamination sites across the U.S. #BELLAS SHORT STACK MENU HOW TO#This resource from the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology offers tips on how to reduce PFAS exposure in your home, including by avoiding nonstick cookware and vacuuming frequently. This database from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit advocacy organization, evaluates ingredients in personal care products and gives them a score based on their known safety and data availability. This database catalogs consumer options, including cleaning products, that have been reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency and dubbed safer from a human health and environmental standpoint. #BELLAS SHORT STACK MENU PLUS#Here’s a shortlist, plus information for those who who are specifically concerned about PFAS in drinking water: But it’s a tendency we noticed in cosmetics clothing.”Ĭonsumers who want more specific help or tips can consult a wide range of resources. “Fluorine chemicals tend to be expensive, so they tend to up the price,” he added. One easy rule of thumb: If you’re evaluating two water-resistant products and one is more expensive, that’s the one that’s more likely to contain PFAS, said Notre Dame professor and researcher Graham Peaslee. How does a consumer know if a product contains PFAS? It’s tough, and even products claiming to be green, clean or eco-friendly could contain the chemicals. A hazardous chemical is widely used, its adverse health and environmental effects are revealed far after the fact, scientists and other concerned parties ring the alarm, and the substance in question finally garners federal attention, sometimes in the form of improved regulation or, more rarely, a full-stop ban. It’s a familiar story that has played out before, from DDT to PCBs. “And that means the next generations will be drinking it, and that’s not the kind of legacy we want to leave our kids.” “This stuff is toxic at incredibly low levels and it’s persistent - it stays there for hundreds of years in the groundwater, thousands of years,” said Graham Peaslee, a Notre Dame professor and researcher who’s tested many products for PFAS in his lab. It’s not going to be straightforward or swift to eliminate these substances from countless industries, even though they have been potentially linked to myriad health issues.įound in products like food packaging, clothes and firefighting foam, PFAS have contaminated drinking water sources nationwide since becoming commercially available in the middle of the last century, building up in the environment where they won’t break down for a very long time.Ī recent study concluded that rainwater, surface water and ground soil across the globe is extensively contaminated with these chemicals to a point that cannot be reversed without expensive, advanced technological intervention. When it comes to the United States phasing out PFAS, the “forever chemicals” are true to their nickname in more ways than one.
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