By Nina Capaldi ’27
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymers, or polymers consisting of carbon and fluorine atoms. PFAS are human-made chemicals that have been used industrially since 1950. There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA). Due to their water, oil, heat, and stain resistance, engineers use PFAS to construct fluoropolymer coatings.
Further, PFAS are commonly used in products such as food packaging, furniture, clothing, accessories, insulation, non-stick kitchen appliances, dental floss, children’s toys, makeup, cleaning products, nail polish, turf, carpets, plastic bags, shampoo, fast food containers, and more. One of the most pervasive types of PFAS, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon, is especially popular because it can withstand temperatures up to 500°F (260°C), and has significant release capabilities. Annually, over 200,000 tons of PTFE are produced worldwide.
While the widespread contamination may not be visible to the naked eye, PFAS are greatly detrimental to the environment and human health. Over 99% of Americans have significant levels of PFOS and PFOA (different forms of PFAS) in their blood due to PFAS contamination in our food, water, air, and land. Exposure to PFAS happens constantly causing a variety of health disorders, ranging from developmental problems to fertility issues, immune disorders, and obesity. A study conducted by the C8 Science Panel collected blood samples from 70,000 people who came into contact with PFOA-contaminated water. The study linked exposure to PFAS with high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. The EU has officially classified PFOA and PFOS as carcinogenic, reprotoxic, and toxic to specific organs.
PFAS infect our environment mostly through industrialization. Aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics industries all produce tremendous amounts of PFAS. These facilities often contaminate the surrounding environment by dumping or burning PFAS-infested chemical waste. The chemicals enter the water and air, polluting communities further downstream and contaminating plant workers. Furthermore, PFAS facilities continuously release PFAS into the environment during manufacturing and shipping.
Additionally, the use of products containing PFAS pollutes the environment. For example, PFAS-based waxes, oils, and packaging are constantly handled, rubbing and flacking off chemicals. Furthermore, most firefighting foams purposefully contain PFAS to serve as surfactants, or chemical compounds that wet and disperse foaming and antifoaming agents. Materials like foam are sprayed directly into the environment, with little to no effort to clean up the contaminants. Environmental tainting also occurs when materials containing PFAS are disposed of in landfills. Many factors such as runoff, erosion, rain, degradation, and decomposition of contaminated materials leach PFAS into nearby water sources in which water treatment plants cannot effectively filter these chemicals.
The concerning statistics that 97% of Americans have PFAS-contaminated blood and half the U.S. tap water contains PFAS exemplify our increasingly dangerous problem. Accurately named ‘forever chemicals,’ PFAS can remain in the environment for over 1000 years. PFAS chemicals are extremely hard to break down due to their chemical bond: the chain of linked carbon and fluorine in PFAS is one of the strongest bonds in nature. Further, once ingested, PFAS can remain in the body for up to nine years.
As the evidence concerning the negative effects of PFAS abounds, manufacturers have switched to ‘short-chain’ versions of PFAS. Manufacturers chose these alternative chemicals because they have not yet been proven unsafe and thus are not yet outlawed. Considering that these variants have not yet been proven safe, these companies are ignorantly releasing possible contaminants into the planet. Concerningly, recent research suggests that ‘short-chain’ alternatives could be as persistent and toxic as PFAS. Additionally, at least seven facilities operated by Dow Chemical, 3M, Ortec, Innovative Chemical Technologies, and other companies are avoiding responsibility by not reporting their release of PFAS into the environment through a regulatory loophole. While the companies are not liable for the unreported chemicals, the discharge of PFAS into the environment is much higher than previously known.
Along with 10 other states, Massachusetts has limited the amount of PFAS in local water sources. The state limit, enacted in 2020, regulates the amount of six PFAS (including PFOA and PFOS) to 20 parts per trillion in the water. This limit is the strictest in the country. Maine has passed a first-in-the-nation law, which takes effect in 2030, banning products made with intentionally added PFAS chemicals. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed labeling seven PFAS as hazardous and installing a maximum contaminant level in drinking water for six other compounds.
PFAS are not solely found in America and pervade the globe. The European Union (EU) banned aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), PFOS, and PFOA in firefighting substances. AFFFs are fire suppressants that are used to extinguish flammable liquid fires, such as fuel fires. Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden restrict perfluorinated carboxylic acids (C9-14 PFCAs), a type of PFAS. While Asia and Latin America have poor regulation, Japan has banned PFOS and PFOA. Japan has also set up a temporary target value of 50 parts per trillion of PFOS and PFOA in the drinking water.
While these regulations are a step in the right direction, they are not always practical — it is costly to filter and test water. Maintaining the strict water regulations in Massachusetts alone for 20 years would cost 15 billion dollars. While it is difficult to fully remove the forever chemicals from the water, there are methods to protect yourself from these pollutants. For example, filters such as activated carbon and reverse osmosis membranes can effectively remove PFAS from the water. However, these filters do not dispose of the PFAS. Once used, the filters are tossed back into landfills where the captured PFAS again leaks into the water, land, air, and eventually, our bodies.
Due to their robust chemical makeup and functionality, PFAS have ceaselessly contaminated the environment for almost a century. Their harmful chemicals and pervasiveness put humans at severe health risks. Although global efforts are vastly insufficient, new awareness and regulations provide hopeful solutions.
Read more articles like this in our Fall 2024 Issue!
