Chemicals

There has been increasing reporting on ‘forever chemicals’ as well as the risk they pose to human health and the environment. But before diving into how State and Federal governing bodies will respond, it’s first important to understand the overarching problem with forever chemicals.  

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, forever chemicals, known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of manmade chemicals. They are “widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products,” including clothing, cleaning products, cookware, electronics, and more.  

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) notes that PFAS have historically been used because they are very effective at making consumer goods water-, stain-, and grease-resistant. However, the moniker ‘forever chemicals’ is given to PFAS due to their indestructibility and persistence in the environment.  

Exposure to PFAS  

The indestructibility of forever chemicals leads to exposures nearly everywhere. People encounter PFAS in existing products that we use every day, but also accumulate in water, air, fish, and soil at locations across the nation and the globe.  

The U.S. EPA describes the following common places where PFAS can be present:  

  • Drinking water — In public drinking water systems and private drinking water wells.  

  • Soil and water at or near waste sites — At landfills, disposal sites, and hazardous waste sites such as those that fall under the federal Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act programs. 

  • Fire extinguishing foam — In aqueous film-forming foams (or AFFFs) used to extinguish flammable liquid-based fires. Such foams are used in training and emergency response events at airports, shipyards, military bases, firefighting training facilities, chemical plants, and refineries. 

  • Manufacturing or chemical production facilities that produce or use PFAS — For example, at chrome plating, electronics, and certain textile and paper manufacturers. 

  • Food — For example, in fish caught from water contaminated by PFAS and dairy products from livestock exposed to PFAS. 

  • Food packaging — For example, in grease-resistant paper, fast food containers/wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and candy wrappers. 

  • Household products and dust — For example, in stain and water-repellent used on carpets, upholstery, clothing, and other fabrics; cleaning products; non-stick cookware; paints, varnishes, and sealants. 

  • Personal care products — For example, in certain shampoo, dental floss, and cosmetics. 

  • Biosolids — For example, fertilizer from wastewater treatment plants that are used on agricultural lands can affect ground and surface water and animals that graze on the land. 

According to the NRDC, “PFAS have now been linked to a wide range of health risks in both human and animal studies — including cancer (kidney and testicular), hormone disruption, liver and thyroid problems, interference with vaccine effectiveness, reproductive harm, and abnormal fetal development.” 

Further, the U.S. EPA notes that peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown PFAS interferes may lead to developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations, or behavioral changes, as well as reproductive effects including decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women. 

Protection from PFAS 

Several recent actions have occurred aimed at protecting humans and the environment from the harmful effects of PFAS, as well as encourage manufacturers to find alternative solutions to PFAS in their products:  

  • In April 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration took action to cut PFAS from U.S. Government custodial contracts by changing the U.S. General Service Administration’s (GSA) custodial specification to direct government contractors to purchase cleaning products for federal buildings that are free of toxic forever chemicals. This action impacts 600 contracts for custodial services at more than 1,500 U.S. government-owned buildings. The Administration expects that most of these contracts will include the new specifications by 2029. 

  • Starting in January 2025, California Law begins to prohibit the manufacturing, distribution, or sale of new textiles, youth products, and food packaging that contain regulated PFAS, as well as cosmetic products that intentionally contain PFAS. 

The best way to reduce exposure to PFAS chemicals is to remove them from products entirely. This requires both regulatory requirements and market-based incentives to ensure progress is made expeditiously. K-12 and higher education institutions also have a role to play in advancing the transformation to a PFAS-free marketplace. Facility cleaning executives should engage with their suppliers and distributors to ask about the presence of PFAS in procured products and state their interest in purchasing PFAS-free products to increase the demand for these products.  

Sara Porter is the Vice President of External Affairs for Healthy Schools Campaign. She has worked with HSC for 15 years. She currently serves as director of Healthy Green Schools & Colleges, a program that helps K12 and higher education institutions identify and implement low- and no-cost measures that improve indoor air quality, among other initiatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from DePaul University. 




POSTED ON: 8/14/2024