https://theconversation.com/a-blanket-ban-on-toxic-forever-chemicals-is-good-for-people-and-animals-127879
[links and images in online article]
A blanket ban on toxic ‘forever chemicals’ is good for people and animals
February 6, 2020
Jonathan Van Hamme
Professor, environmental microbiologist, Thompson Rivers University
Disclosure statement
Jonathan Van Hamme receives funding from the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council and the United States Strategic
Environmental Research and Development Program to study the microbial
metabolism of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances. He does this work
with collaborators at McGill, the University of Montreal, and the
National Research Council of Canada.
Lowe’s recently joined the Home Depot and other major retail chains in
phasing out the sale of products treated with poly- and perfluoroalkyl
substances, toxic chemicals more commonly known as PFAS. Specifically,
Lowe’s said it would stop selling indoor residential carpets and rugs
treated with the PFAS by the end of 2019.
PFAS are a family of chemicals known for their non-stick,
water-repellent and stain-resistant properties. They are used in
cookware, clothing, carpets, cosmetics, and military and industrial
applications.
But PFAS are persistent and have been detected in drinking water, in
soil, rain, fog and ice, and in humans, plants and animals. Even polar
bears and ringed seals in the Arctic have PFAS in their blood. A recent
report found that almost all U.S. drinking water sources may be
contaminated with PFAS, and the chemicals have been found to be
widespread in Canadian rivers and creeks. Despite the evidence that PFAS
cause a range of health problems, chemical companies often contradict
those claims.
Although some countries have banned some types of PFAS, many remain on
the market and new ones are regularly introduced. Perhaps it is time to
ask whether wider bans on PFAS production and use are needed.
Non-stick for 80 years
PFAS are slow to break down in the environment. This stability can be
traced to the strong bonds between fluorine atoms and chains of carbon
atoms in the backbone of the molecules.
The first fluoropolymer was synthesized in Germany in 1934. It was soon
followed by the accidental synthesis of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
in 1938 by a chemist working for the chemical company DuPont. Within a
few years PTFE was commercialized as the non-stick coating Teflon, and
applied to everything from pans to paints.
Despite the history of PFAS, and the introduction of new products every
decade since 1940, it was not until the turn of the century that PFAS
manufacturers, academics and regulators had the analytical tools to
begin to understand the pervasive nature of PFAS in the environment and
the risks to human health.
Health problems
People are exposed to PFAS through food and water, and by inhaling dust.
The chemical has been found in the blood of infants, young children and
their mothers. Those working in the PFAS manufacturing industry or
living near chemical plants have higher rates of exposure.
These compounds can build up, or bioaccumulate, in the tissues of people
and other animals, with a preference for the liver, kidneys and blood.
They are water soluble, meaning that they are excreted in urine, feces
and in breast milk.
Research has linked PFAS to a variety of toxic effects, including liver
damage, decreased fertility, thyroid disease, testicular and kidney
cancer and a decreased immune response to vaccines. Growing concern
about the potential health risks of PFAS has led some companies to
discontinue their use.
On the manufacturing side, the 3M Company was the first to announce in
2000 that it would stop making perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), the
active compound in Scotchguard and other products, and one of the older
types of PFAS. At the time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
said it was on the verge of taking steps to remove the product from
market because of the risk it posed to the environment and human health.
Despite evidence to the contrary, including company records that have
been made public in lawsuits, some in the chemical industry continue to
argue that the chemicals do not pose human health risks.
Only a small fraction of PFAS have been tested for human health and
safety before they were released to the market. With an estimated
3,000-5,000 untested PFAS being used in products today and only 75 PFAS
identified by the EPA for future toxicity testing, it is not difficult
to muddy the waters of evidence.
Regulations for public good
Hundreds of industrial, aviation and military sites across North America
are contaminated with PFAS, and are at risk of polluting drinking water
and food sources. By one estimate more than 110 million people in the
U.S. may be drinking PFAS-contaminated water.
From a regulatory perspective, most of the attention has been placed on
the two most common types, PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
Canada declared PFOS a toxic substance in 2008, and it was added to the
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2009. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency has been working with companies for more
than a decade to stop the production and import of long-chain PFAS,
including PFOS and PFOA.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill in January that would
regulate PFAS in drinking water, and the EPA has established a database
to map the known health effects of PFAS. Although Canada lists drinking
water screening values for 11 types of PFAS, it also warns that only
“PFOS and PFOA have been studied sufficiently” to develop guidelines to
protect Canadians’ health.
Companies continue to introduce new types of PFAS they say are safer,
although studies show that they may not be. In addition to the health
risks these chemicals pose, they persist in the environment because they
cannot be broken down by natural biochemical processes. As part of my
research, I study bacteria and fungi that might be used to clean up
environments contaminated with PFAS chemicals.
It is time for government to ban all long-chain PFAS, and forever
eliminate these forever chemicals from our ecosystems.
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