Site icon The PFAS Project Lab

Garbage dumps may be ‘burping’ toxic ‘forever chemicals’: Study

Photo credit: Wolfgang Kaehler / LightRocket via Getty Images - Tons of garbage at the King County Cedar Hills Regional Landfill facilities, operated by the King County Solid Waste Division (it encompasses 920 acres) near Maple Valley, Washington, United States.

Read the full article by Sharon Udasin (The Hill)

“As many municipal landfills belch out gas from decomposing organic matter, they are also releasing toxic ‘forever chemicals’ into the air, a new study has found.

Scientists measured unexpectedly high levels of airborne per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at three dumps they surveyed — demonstrating the ability of these persistent contaminants to escape into the environment.

That invasion could be occurring in similar capacities via both vented gases and liquid by-products, known as leachates, according to the study, published on Wednesday in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

PFAS are notorious for their ability to linger in the environment and in the body and are found in certain firefighting foams, industrial discharge, nonstick pans, cosmetics and waterproof textiles, as well as other household products.” …

Exit mobile version