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
Flurry of PFAS actions in the first 100 days of the Biden Administration: The highlights
30 Apr 2021 | JD Supra
Many of these proposed actions could have far-reaching and significant implications for many industries and businesses.
Committee recommends stricter water standards for ‘forever chemicals’
30 Apr 2021 | Press Herald
The proposal would set an interim standard of 20 ppt for PFAS in Maine's drinking water, in line with several other New England states and lower than the current federal health advisory level.
$11.9M settlement reached in lawsuit after Parchment drinking water found with dangerous PFAS levels
30 Apr 2021 | MLive
The complaint alleged PFAS had migrated from a nearby former paper mill and its associated facilities into Parchment’s municipal water system.
PFAS Paper Mill Settlement Reflects Growing Trend
28 Apr 2021 | National Law Review
Just a few days ago, an $11.9 million settlement was announced in a Michigan lawsuit in which a class of approximately 3,000 plaintiffs alleged that a PFAS manufacturer and a PFAS-using paper mill contaminated drinking water supplies, thereby polluting the environment and placing nearby citizens at increased risk of adverse health effects.
[Press Release] Wendy’s announces ban on toxic chemicals in food packaging
28 Apr 2021 | Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families
Company will eliminate PFAS in consumer-facing packaging in the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2021—a faster timeline than competitor McDonald’s.
Latest Science
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at high concentrations in neonatal Australian pinnipeds
5 May 2021 | Sci. Tot. Env.
The geographical foraging range is the suspected factor for interspecies differences in marine mammals.
Prevalence and Predictors of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Serum Levels among Members of a Suburban US Volunteer Fire Department
5 May 2021 | Int J Environ Res Public Health
Serum levels of both PFDA and PFDoA were positively associated with years of firefighting.
Serum concentrations of per−/polyfluoroalkyl substances and risk of type 2 diabetes: A case-control study
4 May 2021 | Sci. Tot. Env.
PFHxS and PFHpA exposure were associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Adsorption Behavior of Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) onto Activated Spent Coffee Grounds Biochar in Synthetic Wastewater Effluent
4 May 2021 | J Haz. Mat. L
Spent coffee ground activated biochar performed comparably to commercial adsorbents.
Diffusion of perfluoroalkyl acids through clay-rich soil
4 May 2021 | J Contam Hydrol
Surface diffusion serves a potentially important role for strongly sorbing PFAAs in clay-rich soils.
Latest Policy
US chemical industry spent $61M to fend off PFAS regulations
4 May 2021
Campaign finance records reveal that seven of largest PFAS producers and their industry trade groups spent at least $61 million during 2019 and 2020, the majority of which did not comprise campaign donations but instead funded lobbying efforts aimed at members of Congress and Donald Trump’s administration.
[Sign-on Opportunity] Statement on the Registration of Polymers under REACH
30 Apr 2021
This statement calling for more transparency on polymers marketed in the EU continues to be open for signatures.
EPA Administrator Regan Establishes New Council on PFAS
27 Apr 2021
Administrator Michael S. Regan issued a memorandum to EPA’s senior leadership calling for the creation of a new “EPA Council on PFAS” that is charged with building on the agency’s ongoing work to better understand and ultimately reduce the potential risks caused by these chemicals.
Canada: Notice of intent to address the broad class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
27 Apr 2021
Stakeholders and interested parties will have opportunities to provide input to help inform Government of Canada activities related to addressing PFAS as a class. As a first step, stakeholders are invited to provide initial feedback on the intent to address PFAS as a class, including any challenges or opportunities they foresee.
For PFAS, is environmental persistence on its own enough to trigger regulation?
18 Apr 2021
California is on the verge of setting a precedent for chemical-control policy in the US. For the first time, an agency in the state plans to treat a large group of commercial substances as a class for the purpose of regulation.
Opportunities
[Webinar] Eliminating Unnecessary PFAS in Building Materials
Event: 13 May 2021
This one-hour presentation will introduce the Green Science Policy Institute's new report, "Building a Better World: Eliminating Unnecessary Uses of PFAS in Building Materials." Space is limited.
[Sign-on Opportunity] Statement on the Registration of Polymers under REACH
Posted: 30 Apr 2021
This statement calling for more transparency on polymers marketed in the EU continues to be open for signatures.
[Sign-on Opportunity] Developing a global science-policy body on chemicals and waste
Posted: 10 Mar 2021
Over 1600 scientists & practitioners from nearly 75 countries have already signed-on in support of establishing a global science-policy body on chemicals and waste, akin to the IPCC and IPBES. The sign-on campaign will remain open until the end of September 2021.
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