Injustice Forever? Toxic PFAS Chemicals Have ‘Made a Mockery of Our Environmental Regulations’

January 10, 2022

Read the full article by  Tara Lohan (The Relevator)

"Wherever you look for PFAS, you’ll find them.

“They’re on Mount Everest; they’re in the Mariana Trench; they’re in polar bears; they’re in penguins; and they’re in just about every human population on Earth,” says David Bond, a cultural anthropologist and professor at Bennington College, who’s been investigating the “forever chemicals.”

PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a family of chemicals that includes PFOA and PFOS, are widely used in the manufacture of plastic products like non-stick pans, food packaging and waterproof clothing, and are also a component of firefighting foam.

Their non-sticky, nonreactive properties made them appealing to plastics manufacturers. But they’ve proved a nightmare for environmental health because they don’t break down quickly, if at all. They also travel long distances and bioaccumulate in plants, animals and people. Traces of the chemicals — many known to be harmful — are now found all over the world."

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• Environment
• Wildlife
• Health
• Measurement Techniques
• Monitoring Data