They never degrade, break down, or go away: Forever chemicals, or PFAS, increase cancer risks, undermine immune systems, decrease fertility and more. State governments, along with the federal government, must end their destructive proliferation.
Forever chemicals, which repel water, oil and grease, are applied to non-stick cookware and cosmetics, among other uses. But their long-term liabilities far outweigh their benefits — and the risks are growing. While federal legislators and regulators dither, Pennsylvania should take a leading role in reducing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, for not only people today, but also generations to come.
Other than treating the water supply, the only way to lower exposure to PFAS is to stop producing them. In 2021, Sens. Susan Collins, R.-Maine, and Richard Blumenthal, D.-Conn., introduced the No PFAS in Cosmetics Act to cut off one of the leading ways forever chemicals get into circulation: cosmetics, where PFAS are rarely labeled. California has passed a ban of its own, and Washington state is considering one. A full ban in Pennsylvania should be on new Gov. Josh Shapiro’s bipartisan agenda.
Meantime, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection has acted prudently by adopting higher clean water standards than those of the federal government. The federal advisory standard is too high, current research shows, to protect against the adverse effects of PFAS.
The water supply is one of the few places where PFAS can be pulled out of circulation. By adopting a stricter standard — 14 and 18 parts per trillion for the two types of PFAS regulated — than the federal advisory standard of 70 parts per trillion, the state Department of Environmental Protection has put Pennsylvania ahead of the curve.
Still, much damage has already been done. Studies in the last year show even rainwater contaminated with PFAS now exceeds the EPA’s lax drinking water advisories. Humans have injected so much of these chemicals into the environment that they’ve become part of the global water cycle.
Making matters worse, the human body has no way to dispose of forever chemicals; instead, they lodge in organs and bloodstreams, building up over time and disrupting the proper functioning of hormones. Forever chemicals are considered a leading candidate for the cause of rising infertility, especially in men, worldwide.
Forever chemicals will be talked about for generations as one of the worst man-made health disasters in modern history. The state Department of Environmental Protection has already put Pennsylvania at the forefront of combating them, but the health and environmental risks remain great enough to justify banning them.
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