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
Petition calls on Lujan Grisham to ban PFAS in oil and gas operations
28 Oct 2024 | New Mexico Political Report
A coalition of advocacy groups delivered a petition to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham this week that requests a state ban on the use of PFAS chemicals in oil and gas extraction.
Map Reveals 20% Americans at Risk of 'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water
25 Oct 2024 | Newsweek
More than 20 percent of U.S. households may rely on drinking water sources contaminated by "forever chemicals," new research by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) suggests.
Vice President Harris supports Michigan-led plan to provide medical care for military victims of PFAS
25 Oct 2024 | Great Lakes Now
Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday will publicly back plans to provide easier access to disability and medical benefits to veterans exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, while serving in the military.
USAG Ansbach starts PFAS remediation facility to extract toxins from groundwater
24 Oct 2024 | U.S. Army
U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach officially started operating its state-of-the-art pump and treat facility to remove contaminated ground water at the Katterbach airfield during a ceremonial event Oct. 15.
Farmer whose land is contaminated with PFAS chemicals urges state to prioritize medical testing
24 Oct 2024 | Maine Public
A Maine farmer whose land is contaminated with PFAS chemicals is urging a State advisory committee to prioritize medical testing for affected citizens.
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.
Statistical Mapping of PFOA and PFOS in Groundwater throughout the Contiguous United States
23 Oct 2024 | Environ Sci Technol
Mapping PFAS contamination in U.S. groundwater is challenging due to inconsistent testing, but a new statistical approach using ecological modeling helps create continuous maps of PFAS distribution, guiding future sampling and addressing health risks from these chemicals.
Regulation of terrestrial input and ocean processes on the occurrence and transport of traditional and emerging per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the inner shelf of the East China Sea
21 Oct 2024 | Water Research
Coastal oceans show significant accumulation of PFAS in nearshore waters due to terrestrial inputs, industrial sources, and hydrological conditions, with certain PFAS compounds posing elevated ecological risks in regions like the East China Sea.
PFAS profiles in Biosolids, Composts, and Chemical Fertilizers Intended for Agricultural Land Application in Quebec (Canada)
21 Oct 2024 | J. Hazard. Mater.
Biosolids, sewage sludge, and composts used for sustainable agriculture may contain PFAS chemicals that can accumulate in soil and enter the food chain, with this study finding significant PFAS levels across various biowastes in Quebec, Canada, highlighting concerns about long-term environmental and health risks from repeated applications.
Insights into PFAS contaminants before and after sewage discharges into a marine protected harbour
21 Oct 2024 | Chemosphere
Untreated wastewater discharges in the UK are causing elevated levels of harmful PFAS chemicals in protected marine areas, with significant contamination found in water, seaweed, and oysters, underscoring the need for better wastewater management and a deeper understanding of PFAS impacts on marine ecosystems.
Latest Policy
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.
Kildee Leads Bipartisan Effort to Protect Michigan Residents from Harmful PFAS Chemicals
9 Oct 2024
Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-08),co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force, joined Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General Robert Storch requesting an updated report on DoD’s efforts to clean up toxic PFAS chemicals at military sites—and in surrounding communities—in Michigan.
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.