Read the full article by Margie Kelly (NRDC)
“SAN FRANCISCO – Scientists recommend treating PFAS chemicals as one class of chemicals and avoiding all nonessential uses of these ‘forever chemicals,’ according to a peer-reviewed article published today in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
The authors—16 scientists from universities, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the European Environment Agency, and NGOs—say the extreme persistence and known toxicity of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that have been studied render traditional chemical-by-chemical management dangerously inadequate. The article lays out how businesses and government can apply a class-based approach to reduce harm from PFAS.
‘The science on PFAS chemicals is clear: the best way to protect public health from these ‘forever chemicals’ is to prevent them from entering the environment,” said Anna Reade, a staff scientist with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and a co-author of the article. “It’s reckless to think regulating the thousands of PFAS chemicals one-by-one could ever reverse the severe damage these chemicals have and will continue to render to human health, our drinking water, and the natural world. The class approach proposed is both scientifically sound and critical to protecting public health and the environment,’ said Reade.
For decades, industry has created thousands of different PFAS chemicals, many of which are found in the bodies of virtually every person in America. PFAS can be found in carpeting, food packaging, cookware, clothing, cosmetics, and even firefighting foam. PFAS chemicals do not break down easily, can spread quickly through the environment and are associated with a long list of harmful health effects, including cancer and developmental and reproductive harm…”