PFAS Central: sharing notable news, scientific papers & events
Although useful, PFAS or highly fluorinated chemicals are associated with serious health harm and can remain in the environment forever.
Latest News
Indiana will no longer dispose of firefighting foam with harmful PFAS
4 Nov 2024 | WNIN
A state program meant to protect firefighters from harmful PFAS in firefighting foam is ending. Indiana will no longer collect and dispose of the foam after Dec. 30.
Milliken & Company Introduces Milliken Assure™, a Non-PFAS Moisture Barrier for Use in Firefighter Turnout Gear
4 Nov 2024 | Firehouse
Global diversified manufacturing leader Milliken & Company today announced the launch of Milliken Assure™, North America’s first non-PFAS, non-halogenated, flame-resistant moisture barrier for firefighter turnout gear.
AG sues St. Joseph Co. paper comany for PFAS contamination
1 Nov 2024 | Wood TV
The state is suing a St. Joseph County paper company for alleged PFAS contamination into the environment, according to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
PFAS mixtures more toxic than single compounds, suggesting higher danger
1 Nov 2024 | The Guardian
Mixtures of different types of PFAS compounds are often more toxic than single chemicals, first-of-its-kind research finds, suggesting humans’ exposure to the chemicals is more dangerous than previously thought.
USGS Warns: Millions of Americans May Be Drinking Contaminated Water
30 Oct 2024
An estimated 71 to 95 million people in the contiguous United States—over 20% of the nation’s population—may depend on groundwater containing detectable levels of PFAS for their drinking water.
Latest Science
Impact of local food consumption on exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in a contaminated community in North-Eastern Italy
30 Nov 2024 | Epidemiol Prev
Consuming locally-grown foods in PFAS-contaminated areas can significantly increase exposure to PFOA and PFOS, leading to prolonged elevated blood levels, with affected individuals taking about three more years to reduce their concentrations to levels below a clinically significant threshold level.
Neurotoxic Effects of Mixtures of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) at Environmental and Human Blood Concentrations
4 Nov 2024 | Environ. Sci. Technol.
PFAS exposure has been linked to harmful health effects, including neurodevelopmental issues, with this research showing that mixtures of these substances can impair neuron growth at concentrations typically observed in the environment, highlighting the importance of assessing their combined risk.
City-scale Impacts of PFAS from Normal and Elevated Temperature Landfill Leachates on Wastewater Treatment Plant Influent
4 Nov 2024 | J. Hazard. Mater.
Elevated temperatures in landfills can significantly increase PFAS concentrations and precursors in leachate compared to normal conditions, indicating diverse and complex PFAS sources impacting wastewater treatment plants and underscoring the need for further research on their environmental impact.
The Global Threat from the Irreversible Accumulation of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA)
30 Oct 2024 | Environ Sci Technol
Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a highly persistent and widespread pollutant found in various environmental media; its increasing concentrations—driven by both direct emissions and transformation from other PFAS—pose potential irreversible risks to ecosystems and human health, highlighting the need for urgent global action to reduce emissions.
E-waste in the environment: Unveiling the sources, carcinogenic links, and sustainable management strategies
25 Oct 2024 | Toxicology
PFAS, present in e-waste, can leach into the environment when improperly disposed of, posing serious health risks by accumulating in human tissues, disrupting cellular functions, and contributing to cancer development, which underscores the importance of proper e-waste recycling and disposal practices.
Latest Policy
Military adopts ‘action level’ policy for PFAS cleanup that’s 3 times federal EPA standard
1 Nov 2024
The Defense Department's new policy allows the Navy to further delay action to remedy drinking water contamination by plume migrating off Calverton site.
Vice President Harris supports Michigan-led plan to provide medical care for military victims of PFAS
25 Oct 2024
Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Dan Kildee introduced The Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS Act in July of 2023. Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her support for the bill as a part of her presidential campaign.
EPA Proposes to Add 16 PFAS and 15 PFAS Categories to the TRI List of Chemicals
18 Oct 2024
The U.S. EPA proposed on October 8, 2024, to add 16 individual PFAS and 15 PFAS categories representing more than 100 individual PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory list of toxic chemicals subject to reporting to comply with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.
USDA’s ARS Develops Long-Term Roadmap for PFAS in U.S. Agriculture
18 Oct 2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service announced on October 16, 2024, several key outcomes from a workshop held to develop a research roadmap leading to short- and long-term science-based solutions to meet the challenges posed by the discovery of PFAS in agricultural soils and waters.
Brown Demands That Department of Defense Block Further PFAS Incineration in East Liverpool
10 Oct 2024
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called on the Department of Defense to block the resumption of incineration as an approved PFAS disposal method in East Liverpool and communities across the country. PFAS – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – often referred to as “forever chemicals” – pose a threat to public health and is designated by the EPA as a hazardous substance.
Opportunities
[Job] EPA Fellowship on Application of Non-Targeted Analysis of PFAS in Biota
Event: 8 Nov 2024
A research training opportunity is available at the EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division located in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
[Job] Principal Scientist at The Green Science Policy Institute
Event: 29 Nov 2024
The Green Science Policy Institute would like to hire a Principal Scientist to collaborate with and support the Executive Director and Institute team in carrying out the Institute’s mission to reduce the use of harmful chemicals for healthier products, people, and planet.
[Public comment] US FDA developing post-market assessment process for chemicals in food
Event: 6 Dec 2024
Informational meeting on the proposal will be held on September 25, 2024. Public comment period ends on December 6, 2024
[Job] Postdoctoral Analytical Chemist - USDA
Event: 31 Dec 2024
The USDA, Agricultural Research Service, in Wyndmoor, PA, is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to conduct research on targeted and non-targeted analysis of PFAS in food and food packaging.
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