PFAS Ban

Thanks for posting. Learned things I didn’t know.

What that article failed to mention is the high number of rare cancers found in towns where mfg. using these chemicals took place. I live near a town, Hoosick Falls, NY,  whose water supply was destroyed, and was swept under the rug until a number of unexplained cancer deaths. Politicians, including Andrew Cuomo the former Gov. of NY failed to address the issue for political reasons. Far more a heinous act than some of the more prominent allegations against him. I spent a large amount of time fishing in a river below the town, especially below the town's sewer plant discharge. (no jokes please, it was supposedly clean) Great fishing, but no one has an answer for  what triggered my rare blood cancer.

Environmental engineer here. That was a really good article. A couple of things:

- Absorption through the skin is nearly zero. The main concern is ingestion. And the main ingestion concern is for workers and neighbors of manufacturing facilities. Still, best to minimize exposure. In the home, the greatest exposures are likely teflon products (pans, dust from "Scotch-guarded" carpets) and compostable bowls (see below).
- PFAS is EVERYWHERE. I have yet to obtain a soil or groundwater sample that does not contain at least trace PFAS (note... we're talking parts per TRILLION). Even rainwater contains PFAS.
- Be wary of the term "PFAS-free". As the article mentions, there are thousands of variations of PFAS. Most states regulate a couple dozen.
- Compostable bowls (fast food, frozen dinners, etc.) contain PFAS to make them waterproof. It doesn't work well due to the absorbent nature of the "cardboard". The cardboard is also friable and easy to ingest. I'll still buy frozen dinners (frozen food added to a dry bowl won't leach much, if any, PFAS), but I'll remove the contents to a ceramic bowl before heating up. Chipotle, McDonald’s Wendy’s and Whole Foods are among at least 15 companies that have announced policies in recent years to phase PFAS out of packaging they use or sell. That said, see exception above.
- To be specific... "filtering" water (to remove particles) does not work. "Treatment" with activated carbon does. Things like Brita "filters" work because they contain activated carbon.

If you're interested in PFAS, check out the EPA to address "forever poisons" thread in the Environmental Issues forum