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

PFAS pollution risk grows as chemical companies ramp up production for AI chip demand

13 Jun 2025 | EHN

Semiconductor makers’ reliance on PFAS chemicals is spurring a new wave of pollution concerns as companies like Chemours and Daikin expand production to meet the artificial intelligence boom.

A faster way to screen supply chains for harmful chemicals

13 Jun 2025 | IBM

IBM’s new Safer Materials Advisor can speed up the review of thousands of chemical products for PFAS by more than four times while reducing the chance of errors.

North Georgia families sue over ‘catastrophic’ chemical contamination

13 Jun 2025 | Atlanta News First

A lawsuit filed Thursday accuses major carpet manufacturers and chemical makers of contaminating soil and water across north Georgia with toxic PFAS chemicals, exposing nearby families to what environmental experts are calling “catastrophic” levels of the dangerous substances.

PFAS exposure before birth could put your teen at risk for high blood pressure, study finds

12 Jun 2025 | CNN

New data shows the synthetic compounds could also be linked to a teen’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life, according to the study published Thursday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Forever chemicals: Scientists condemn massive lobbying campaign to alter PFAS definition

10 Jun 2025 | Le Monde

In a letter published Tuesday in a scientific journal, a group of 20 researchers warn that 'this effort is politically and/or economically, rather than scientifically, motivated.'

Latest Science

Prenatal Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposures and Longitudinal Blood Pressure Measurements in Children Aged 3 to 18 Years: Findings From a Racially and Ethnically Diverse US Birth Cohort

12 Jun 2025 | J Am Heart Assoc

Higher maternal blood levels of eight PFAS (Me-PFOSA-AcOH, PFDeA, PFHpS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFOA, PFOS and PFUnA) correlated with higher childhood blood-pressure readings, most noticeably during adolescence, in boys and in non-Hispanic Black youth, implying that prenatal exposure to these “forever chemicals” may increase long-term hypertension risk.

Scientists’ statement on the chemical definition of PFASs

10 Jun 2025 | Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett.

The authors raise concerns about ongoing efforts to redefine PFAS and potentially exclude certain fluorinated chemical subgroups from the 2021 OECD definition of PFAS chemicals.

[Opinion] PFAS are widespread, not ubiquitous: Clarifying misconceptions about the prevalence of “forever chemicals”

9 Jun 2025 | Environ. Sci. Technol.

U.S. Geological Survey researchers explain that PFAS occur widely but not literally everywhere on Earth, urging scientists and journalists to replace the term “ubiquitous” with the more accurate term “widespread.”

Burden of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human breast milk: Implications for maternal and infant health

7 Jun 2025 | Environ Int

Analyzing pooled breast-milk samples from five UN regions, researchers estimate that up to 24 % of mothers and 17 % of babies already exceed plasma levels of PFHxS and PFNA linked to endocrine, immune and developmental harm.

Decorative cosmetics and skin care products contribute significantly to short-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates exposure

5 Jun 2025 | J Hazard Mater

Tests on 3-D human skin models show that decorative cosmetics and skin-care products permit short-chain PFAS, such as by PFBA, to pass through skin efficiently, pushing daily intakes up to about 0.8 ng per kilogram of body weight and making dermal contact responsible for roughly 40 % of total PFOA exposure among regular users, findings that strengthen the case for tighter limits on PFAS in personal-care items.

Latest Policy

State updates fish advisories amid PFAS concerns in Southern Colorado waters

12 Jun 2025

New signs and state guidance urge anglers to check lake-specific advisories as “forever chemicals” raise long-term health risks.

EPA cancels limits for several PFAS chemicals in drinking water

12 Jun 2025

More than 150 million Americans drink water contaminated with toxic forever chemicals. Last year, after decades of inaction, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set limits to protect public health. Now, that same agency is undoing those defenses.

EPA restores $1.4M UMaine PFAS grant

12 Jun 2025

Almost a month after it was canceled, more than $1 million in EPA funding for the University of Maine is back.

Michigan triples waters with ‘Do Not Eat’ warning for PFAS in fish

5 Jun 2025

The state of Michigan has tripled the list of lakes and rivers where high concentrations of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ make the fish unsafe to eat.

Minnesota is set to impose new PFAS reporting requirements in January. Manufacturers say they need more time.

30 May 2025

Manufacturers and trade groups are urging the state to extend the forever chemicals reporting deadline, saying they need more time to sift through complex, multitiered supply chains.

Opportunities

PFAS – Challenges and Scientific Perspectives in Human Health Risk Assessment

Event: 8 Oct 2025

This international conference brings together national and international scientists and risk assessors to exchange current scientific knowledge on PFAS and to discuss challenges and advances in human health risk assessment.

SETAC North America 46th Annual Meeting - Call for Abstracts

Event: 16 Nov 2025

DATES: 16–20 November 2025 LOCATION: Portland, Oregon Abstract submissions are free until 4 June. Late-breaking science abstracts will be accepted from 9 July–20 August for a $50 rush fee.

PFAS Central Partners

Green Science Policy Institute Northeastern University Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute