What consumers can do as regulators weigh compounds' risks
https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2019/07/20/what-consumers-can-do-as-regulators-weigh-compounds-risks
Interesting. I had no idea.
Background: DuPont spun off "The Chemours Company" as a separate entity in 2014, just as the states' environmental departments were starting to raise alarms about PFAs. Cynics now say this was a move to limit DuPont's liability.
PFAS shows up in Haw River, Pittsboro water, but gets limited local attention - North Carolina Health News
https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2019/07/30/pfas-shows-up-in-haw-river-pittsboro-water-but-little-local-outcry/
Rainwater in parts of US contains high levels of PFAS chemical, says study
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/17/rainwater-pfas-us-potentially-toxic-levels-study
A friend is involved in this with respect to Bay Area water and industrial sites. It's monumental it seems.
>monumental
Gonna be bigger than kepone.
My understanding from her was that industrial sites are the main issue.
The first article suggests cookware is enough to create issues.... and I like non-stick cookware.
GenX is the one in the news currently.
High concentrations of fluorinated chemical GenX found in watershedhttps://phys.org/news/2018-04-high-fluorinated-chemical-genx-watershed.html
"Industrial sites, airports, wastewater-treatment plants and fire-training areas upstream from the water treatment plant can all contribute to higher PFAS levels"
QuoteWhat wasn't low in Wilmington, however, were levels of GenX and other "emerging" PFAS chemicals. GenX and related compounds originated from a flurochemical manufacturing plant upstream from Wilmington owned by The Chemours Company.
GenX, the trade name for the ammonium form of perfluoro-2-propoxypropanoic acid (PFPrOPrA), is used to make polymers, such as the non-stick coating Teflon, food-wrapper coatings and other products.
<+>
This just in.
DuPont seeks to toss Chemours environmental liabilities suit
https://apnews.com/a57467492681ee14604f27ff6552ed5b
"Chemours faces more than $200 million in costs to address environmental issues at a North Carolina manufacturing facility, 100 times more than DuPont's estimated $2 million maximum liability. Chemours also has said that potential environmental liabilities in New Jersey far exceed the $337 million cited by DuPont at the time of the spinoff.
In a consent order with the state of North Carolina, Chemours agreed last year to pay a $12 million penalty and $1 million for investigative costs, and to sharply reduce air emissions of a compound known as GenX. The company says the total cost of the consent order will exceed $200 million."
Michigan sues companies over 'forever chemical' contamination | TheHill
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/478263-michigan-sues-companies-over-forever-chemical-contamination
La Croix, Nestle Among 7 Waters With Elevated PFAS in Study - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-24/lacroix-nestle-waters-have-elevated-pfas-consumer-reports-says
DuPont, Chemours reach agreement over 'forever chemicals'
https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-delaware-environment-courts-pollution-ca1c92840b2ad9a481a09da420d4beca
Officials Find Forever Chemicals in Beef From Michigan Farm
https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/science/michigan-farm-cattle-forever-chemicals
Forever chemicals found in drinking water throughout Illinois
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/environment/ct-pfas-illinois-drinking-water-20220710-lcql5pgfjjcqrm2libb3gej5ty-htmlstory.html
EPA to designate 'forever chemicals' as hazardous substances
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/national/epa-to-designate-forever-chemicals-as-hazardous-substances
More 'forever chemicals' found in WA drinking water as cleanup costs mount | The Seattle Times
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/more-forever-chemicals-found-in-wa-drinking-water-as-cleanup-costs-mount/
All fish tested from Michigan rivers contain 'forever chemicals', study finds | PFAS | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/24/pfas-michigan-rivers-fish-study
REI to stop selling clothes, cookware with 'forever chemicals'
https://www.kuow.org/stories/rei-has-committed-to-phasing-out-pfas-toxins-aka-forever-chemicals-9fbf
EU: PFAS ban affects most refrigerant blends
https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/pfas-ban-affects-most-refrigerant-blends/
PFAS 'forever chemicals' about to get their first US limits
https://ravallirepublic.com/news/national/pfas-forever-chemicals-about-to-get-their-first-us-limits/article_89488c79-e9ad-5dca-af29-7c2440f6c6fa.html
I'm curious what the alternatives are to PFAS in waterproof-breathable clothing.
Patagonia has been on the case since 2015
https://www.patagonia.com/stories/our-dwr-problem-updated/story-17673.html
But they are just now getting there, planning to end using PFCs (PFAS, PFOS, PFOA) by 2024
It's starting to get more mainstream coverage too
https://time.com/6252365/pfas-raincoats/
I suspect the REI announcement comes around now because progressive manufacturers are telling them that they can get there by 2024 and REI is trying to signal the others.
I thought it was mostly Teflon. Nope, wrong.
"PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals often used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. The chemicals are ubiquitous, and linked at low levels of exposure to cancer, thyroid disease, kidney dysfunction, birth defects, autoimmune disease and other serious health problems.
They are called "forever chemicals" because they do not naturally degrade.
The chemicals are thought to be contaminating drinking water for at least 200 million Americans, while watchdogs have identified thousands of industrial polluters. Similar widespread contamination persists throughout Europe."
Societal cost of 'forever chemicals' about $17.5tn across global economy – report | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/12/pfas-forever-chemicals-societal-cost-new-report
I thought it was in flame retardants. But I think that's mostly wrong, they just tend to get mentioned together
e.g.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/05/us-child-car-seats-pfas-foxic-flame-retardants-study
https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-021-00778-z
There was a big kerfuffle many years ago when tents were required to be flame retardant. Lots of people didn't like that and there was a rush to buy old tents without flame retardant.
Huge discussions going on here on PFAS. We pride ourselfes with some of the cleanest water in the world straight from the tab.
Unfortunately a lot of the wells have way too much PFAS in them.
>> We pride ourselfes with some of the cleanest water in the world straight from the tab.
That's not how we roll in the US. Lots of places with terrible tap water, often from agricultural pollution with the surprise to many people that rural water quality is often much, much worse than in the cities (SFO, NYC and LA long ago "stole" the water they needed from the pure sources in rural areas and then protected those watersheds).
The Brita PRO Whole-Home PFAS Removal System Titanium Series
https://britapro.com/water-filtration/pfas-removal-system/
First bullet point: Coming soon!
I heard a phrase recently that, apparently, is quite old (like back to the Roman Empire), but quite a propos for America today: private opulence, public squalor. The former being ultimately a driver of the latter.
Do Brita Filters Remove PFAS – Real World Testing DataQuoteIf you're wondering do Brita filters remove PFAS from tap water, the answer is no. While activated carbon in a Brita pitcher can remove some of these contaminants from drinking water, it does not reduce their concentration to drinking water standards. Brita filters are not designed to treat PFAS and should NOT be used for this purpose.
QuoteExperts agree that a reverse osmosis system installed under your kitchen sink is the best option available to consumers. Duke tested these systems and found they removed 96% or more of these toxins, with no difference among brands.
They also waste a lot of water – only about 20% of the contaminated water ends being treated. The rest is dumped down the drain.
Quote
Testing Your Drinking Water for PFAS
You can now test for 14 different PFAS compounds with the SimpleLab at-home kit.
https://purewaterblog.com/do-brita-filters-remove-pfas-real-world-testing-data
Dutch to hold US firm (3M) liable for 'forever chemicals' in river | Business
https://www.news24.com/fin24/climate_future/environment/dutch-to-hold-us-firm-liable-for-forever-chemicals-in-river-20230528
Toxic 'forever chemicals' taint nearly half of U.S. tap water, study estimates
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/07/06/tap-water-forever-chemicals-pfas
>flame retardants. they just tend to get mentioned together
'Disturbing': 25 types of toxic flame retardant found in US breast milk | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/20/toxic-flame-retardants-human-breast-milk
All About PFAS, the 'Forever Chemicals' That US and EU Are Targeting
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/08/24/pfas-all-about-forever-chemicals-and-why-us-eu-are-targeting-them/c4426f2a-4291-11ee-9677-53cc50eb3f77_story.html
90% of "Eco-Friendly" Paper Straws Contain Traces of Toxic Forever Chemicals
https://scienceswitch.com/2023/08/27/90-of-eco-friendly-paper-straws-contain-traces-of-toxic-forever-chemicals/
Cheaper method removes harmful 'forever chemicals' from water
https://www.futurity.org/pfas-pfos-forever-chemicals-water-3189352/
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/3m-pfas-drinking-water-settlement/
Court approves 3M multi-billion dollar settlement over PFAS in public drinking water systems - CBS Minnesota
https://apnews.com/article/forever-chemicals-pfas-pollution-epa-drinking-water-1c8804288413a73bb7b99fc866c8fa51
Biden administration imposes first-ever national drinking water limits on toxic PFAS
EPA's new rules require utilities to reduce toxic chemicals in drinking water | AP News
As we pride ourselves with some of the cleanest tap drinking water, PFAS is a huge issue here as well.
Farmers and corporations getting a lot of pressure and in the news all the time.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/29/pfas-death-cardiovascular-disease
PFAS increase likelihood of death by cardiovascular disease, study shows | PFAS | The Guardian
"For the first time, researchers have formally shown that exposure to toxic PFAS increases the likelihood of death by cardiovascular disease, adding a new level of concern to the controversial chemicals' wide use."
https://cen.acs.org/environment/persistent-pollutants/US-EPA-sets-health-advisory-6-PFAS/100/i22
US EPA sets health advisory limits for 6 PFAS
Batteries are a growing source of 'forever chemical' pollution
https://www.futurity.org/lithium-ion-batteries-forever-chemicals-pfas-pollution-3245002/
Quote"We developed a way to use light to dismantle PFAS 'forever chemicals' – long-lasting environmental pollutants"
https://theconversation.com/we-developed-a-way-to-use-light-to-dismantle-pfas-forever-chemicals-long-lasting-environmental-pollutants-244263
In the quest to take the "forever" out of "forever chemicals," bacteria might be our ally, according to a new study.
"certain microbes can actually break apart the strong chemical bonds that allow these chemicals to persist for so long in the environment"
https://www.futurity.org/bacteria-eat-forever-chemicals-pfas-3266482
There is no escape...
Professional ski waxers' exposure to PFAS and aerosol concentrations in gas phase and different particle size fractions
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23426585/
Fact sheet - PFAS in skiing
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cf93199c24c0a000107ec5b/t/5dcedfad84ea8c4bc965c9b5/1573838785588/Fact+sheet+-+PFAS+in+skiing_0.pdf
Some ski areas have instituted "fluoro wax bans" and the FIS (ski racing governing body) has banned fluoro waxes in competition.
https://www.craftsbury.com/ski/nordic-center/fluoro-policy
PFAS in fertilisers blamed for killing livestock in Texas and wreaking havoc | News | Chemistry World
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/pfas-in-fertilisers-blamed-for-killing-livestock-in-texas-and-wreaking-havoc/4020874.article
She fought to ban PFAS while dying of cancer. Now Minnesota has the nation's strictest law.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pfas-minnesota-forever-chemicals
For a long time, Costco sold Hexclad pans which proudly said PFOAS-free. Which was true. But they also tried to say they were a new compound that was toxic free. It was only after I bought them that I found out that what they mean is they use a different PFAS that has not, at that time, been banned YET.
Recently I got a letter saying there was a class-action lawsuit against them.
Normally, I am against these things - very little restitution for the customers, lots of money for lawyers and often bogus accusations.
In this case, though, I think Hexclad is getting what they asked for with their marketing that was clearly intended to deceive.
It will be interesting to see the results (I am not part of the class because I couldn't find proof of purchase, which is sort of stupid since they got my name from Costco as someone who purchased, but there it is).
Looks like they settled for $2.5m
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/open-lawsuit-settlements/2-5m-hexclad-cookware-class-action-settlement/
Given how many of these Costco moves, I probably missed out on $0.67
>$0.67
I toss all class action notifications --the state lottery probably has a better payout ratio.
Lawyers Walk Away With $57M While GM Owners Get Peanuts In V8 Lawsuit | Carscoops
https://www.carscoops.com/2025/07/gm-v8-settlement-lawyers-get-millions/
Supplement could help remove 'forever chemicals' from the body
https://www.futurity.org/fiber-supplement-forever-chemicals-3289482/
QuoteSchlezinger wanted to reduce her cholesterol, but didn't want to take a drug, so she started researching dietary interventions and found that gel-forming dietary fibers might help. One such fiber is cholestyramine, which, when taken with food, binds to bile acid and leaves the body with it after digestion. The body then has to replace the bile acid lost, and draws cholesterol from the blood to do so, reducing cholesterol levels.
Schlezinger realized that PFAS, like bile acids, are surfactants, with a neutral end and a charged end, which is what makes the acids stick to the fibers. She wondered if gel-forming fibers could help us expel PFAS just as they do with bile acids.
>cholestyramine
My wife was on it for 2 months. It's loose, large-ish granules of resin and is very inert ...doesn't mix with anything well. Tough med to have to take every day. I happened to be experimenting with 'overnight oatmeal' with 1 tbsp of chia seeds for a breakfast cereal. She tried it and it completely replaced cholestyramine with the same good results. If she misses a day or two of chia seeds the bile acid starts kicking up right away.
+
chia seeds gel quickly, too.
Newsom Vetoes California's Ban on 'Forever Chemicals' in Cookware
Mr. Newsom said he was concerned that the measure restricting PFAS chemicals would make pots and pans more expensive for Californians.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/climate/pfas-forever-chemicals-california-cookware-ban.html
New tech captures and destroys 'forever chemicals' in water
https://www.futurity.org/forever-chemicals-in-water-3299962/
Quotehe research shows that mothers receiving water from wells that are "downstream" (in groundwater terms) of PFAS-contaminated sites, as opposed to comparable mothers receiving water from "upstream" wells, had higher first-year infant mortality, more preterm births (including more births before even 28 weeks), and more births with infants weighing less than 5.5 pounds (including more births with weights less than even 2.2 pounds). These findings build on earlier laboratory and public health research but offer new evidence from real-world exposure across a large population.
Extrapolating to the contiguous US, PFAS contamination imposes costs of at least $8 billion on the babies born each year, which encompasses medical care, long-term health impacts and reduced lifetime earnings. The results indicate that the potential health benefits of PFAS cleanup and regulation may be substantial.
https://www.futurity.org/forever-chemicals-health-economic-losses-3314072/
For every reaction...
The move to get rid of PFAs means firefighter gear is becoming more toxic as manufacturers switch to BFRs - brominated flame retardants.
https://www.futurity.org/firefighters-gear-flame-retardant-chemicals-3319032-2/
>For every reaction...
Seems like I've been using that 'no soutions, only trade-offs' quote frequently lately.
I noticed that a few times. I love that quote.
My brother once told me something like: "Anytime you find yourself choosing between two options to solve a complex problem, you likely haven't thought about the problem long enough."
That's a good counterpoint to the Sowell quote
French ban on 'forever chemicals' in cosmetics and clothes to enter into force - France 24
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251230-french-ban-on-forever-chemicals-in-cosmetics-clothing-to-enter-force