Unreleased federal data suggest that up to 110 million Americans could have PFAS-contaminated drinking water. Michigan has the most PFAS sites, but that’s largely because most other states have not tested for the chemicals as extensively. As of July 2019, our tracking map shows that PFAS contaminates public drinking water systems serving 19 million people in 49 states. How are we exposed to PFAS chemicals?ĮWG and the Social Science Health and Environmental Health Research Institute track PFAS contamination reported by federal and state authorities. A 2019 Auburn University study found that short-chains may pose even worse risks than long-chains, which supports scientists’ growing agreement that the entire class of PFAS are hazardous.
But DuPont admits that the short-chain chemical GenX causes cancerous tumors in lab animals. Since these chemicals have been phased out, the EPA and the Food and Drug Administration have recklessly allowed the introduction of scores of “short chain” replacements, with six carbon atoms.Ĭhemical companies claim this structure makes them safer. PFOA, PFOS and the related phased-out compounds are called “long chain” chemicals because they contain eight carbon atoms. Weight gain in children and dieting adults.Testicular, kidney, liver and pancreatic cancer.(They are still permitted in items imported to this country.) Numerous studies link these and closely related PFAS chemicals to: under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency after revelations of their hidden hazards. The most notorious PFAS chemicals – PFOA, the Teflon chemical, and PFOS, an ingredient in 3M’s Scotchgard – were phased out in the U.S. The lawsuit also triggered studies linking the Teflon chemical to cancer and other diseases. (The story is documented in the film “ The Devil We Know.”)Ī class-action lawsuit uncovered evidence DuPont knew PFAS was hazardous and had contaminated tap water but didn’t tell its workers, local communities or environmental officials. In 2001, a scandal erupted in Parkersburg, W.Va., after discovery of the Teflon chemical in the drinking water of tens of thousands of people near a DuPont plant.
PFAS are incredibly persistent, never breaking down in the environment and remaining in our bodies for years.ĭuPont invented the PFAS chemical patented as Teflon, but 3M became its main manufacturer. Decades of heavy use have resulted in contamination of water, soil and the blood of people and animals in the farthest corners of the world. PFAS are used in a staggering array of consumer products and commercial applications. Today the family of fluorinated chemicals that sprang from Teflon includes thousands of nonstick, stain-repellent and waterproof compounds called PFAS, short for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances. In 1946, DuPont introduced nonstick cookware coated with Teflon. What began as a “miracle of modern chemistry” is now a national crisis. Today nearly all Americans, including newborn babies, have PFAS in their blood, and more than 200 million people may be drinking PFAS-tainted water.
Very small doses of PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive and immune system harm, and other diseases.įor decades, chemical companies covered up evidence of PFAS’ health hazards.
They build up in our bodies and never break down in the environment. Hundreds of everyday products are made with highly toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS. The ‘forever chemicals’ in 99% of Americans
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