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
[Video] ‘They told us that this material would be safe.’ Toxic PFAS discovered on US farms
6 May 2024 | CNN
Farms across Maine are discovering toxic PFAS chemicals in their soil and water. But the problem could impact millions of acres of farmland nationwide.
Rapidly rising levels of TFA ‘forever chemical’ alarm experts
6 May 2024 | The Guardian
Trifluoroacetic acid found in drinking water and rain is thought to damage fertility and child development.
Ask the Expert: How does NIEHS research on PFAS affect me?
6 May 2024 | Environmental Factor
Scott Masten, Ph.D., who directs the Office of Portfolio Strategy in the NIEHS Division of Translational Toxicology, discussed the recent PFAS measures and what people can do to reduce their exposures.
What are PFAS? 'Forever chemicals' are common and dangerous.
2 May 2024 | USA Today
"The general public shouldn’t be responsible for removing their PFAS exposure as the chemicals were released into the environment by chemical companies in the first place," says Dr. Erin Haynes, a professor of preventive medicine and environmental health at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.
‘Forever chemicals’ are known for lingering in the body. Menstruation helps expel them
29 Apr 2024 | The Hill
“Some PFAS bind strongly to proteins in blood, and when women menstruate, they lose those blood proteins linked to PFAS,” Suzanne Fenton, who at the time was a group leader in the Mechanistic Toxicology Branch of the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health, told The Hill.
Latest Science
Unregulated contaminants in drinking water: Evidence from PFAS and housing prices
6 May 2024 | JEEM
Public awareness of unregulated PFAS contamination in drinking water significantly decreases property values of affected homes, potentially exacerbating environmental inequality through residential sorting.
[Report] Ronneby PFAS Research Programme
6 May 2024
A decade of research on PFAS exposure through drinking water in a Swedish municipality confirms known risks like elevated cholesterol and kidney cancer while uncovering new ones such as osteoporosis fractures, diabetes, PCOS, and language disorders in children, highlighting the need for further investigation.
Assessment and Comparison of Early Developmental Toxicity of Six Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances with Human Embryonic Stem Cell Models
30 Apr 2024 | Environ Sci Technol
Six PFAS compounds were found to disrupt cell fate determination, cilia formation, and gene expression in human embryonic stem cell models, signaling potential adverse health effects on early embryonic development.
A Review of Sample Collection and Analytical Methods for Detecting Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Indoor and Outdoor Air
26 Apr 2024 | Chemosphere
This review of two decades of research on PFAS in outdoor and indoor air highlights the persistent presence of various PFAS, including those such as fluorotelomer alcohols and perfluorinated carboxylic acids and thousands more estimated, indicating ongoing environmental contamination despite regulatory measures, underscoring the need for improved air sampling techniques to comprehensively assess PFAS atmospheric distribution.
Sub-acute exposure of male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to environmentally relevant concentrations of PFOA and GenX induces significant changes in the testis transcriptome and reproductive traits
26 Apr 2024 | Environ Int
Exposure of male guppies to environmentally realistic levels of a legacy PFAS and its replacement compound (GenX) resulted in altered reproductive traits, including changes in sexual behavior and sperm motility, as well as gene expression related to immune regulation. These changes highlight the potential adverse effects of PFAS on behavior, fertility, and immunity in fish populations.
Latest Policy
[Public Comment] Filing of Food Additive Petition From Environmental Defense Fund
6 May 2024
The Food and Drug Administration is announcing that it has filed a food additive petition, submitted by Environmental Defense Fund et al., proposing that the food additive regulations be amended to remove fluorinated polyethylene.
US polluters will pay for PFAS contamination cleanup following EPA ruling
24 Apr 2024
Michael S Regan, EPA administrator, said: “Designating these chemicals under our Superfund authority will allow EPA to address more contaminated sites, take earlier action, and expedite cleanups, all while ensuring polluters pay for the costs to clean up pollution threatening the health of communities.”
Congress introduces ‘non-essential’ PFAS ban bill
24 Apr 2024
The legislation would give manufacturers 10 years to phase out the use of forever chemicals in production.
Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Critical Rule to Clean up PFAS Contamination to Protect Public Health
19 Apr 2024
EPA action designates two widely used PFAS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, improving transparency and accountability to clean up PFAS contamination in communities.
Vermont House unanimously passes bill to ban PFAS, or 'forever chemicals'
11 Apr 2024
A roll call vote passed unanimously, with a vote of 130-0.
Opportunities
[Job] Research Associate - Michigan State University
Event: 1 Apr 2025
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition seeks a Research Associate (Postdoctoral Researcher) to work in Dr. Courtney Carignan’s research program.
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