Why Do Manufacturers Make Products With PFAS?
PFAS have some good uses. The chemicals are found in construction materials that build homes and cities. They waterproof outdoor gear and help power airplanes. They’re found in implantable medical devices like heart stents and pacemakers. And they go into parts that build cell phones and semiconductors.
Their nonstick and heat- and water-resistant properties make them highly useful in the construction, manufacturing, aeronautics, automotive, and technology sectors.
Are There Laws to Protect People From PFAS?
In 2016, the EPA set a lifetime health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. But it’s not an enforceable guideline. There is no federal regulation of PFAS in drinking water.
Instead, regulation is handled by the states, which vary widely in their approaches to controlling PFAS. Some states have almost no protections, while Maine, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, and California have strict rules to limit PFAS in water and consumer goods.
U.S. manufacturers have phased out many uses of PFOA and PFOS, but some continue to use them, and the chemicals are still in imported goods. However, current EPA rules include a timeline to restrict PFAS across several industries.
In June 2022, the agency issued new recommendations to cap PFAS in drinking water — PFOA, PFOS, and GenX included — at levels that are drastically lower than the current advisory.
If PFAS Are So Hard to Break Down, Can We Ever Get Rid of Them?
Scientists and engineers are working hard to design technologies to remove PFAS from our air, soil, and water. Existing PFAS disposal methods include incineration and landfills. But these processes are imperfect; in some cases, the chemicals can leach back into the environment.
PFAS are not going away anytime soon. But awareness is growing, and researchers are learning more about these chemicals every day, Anderko says. Solutions need to come from a coordinated effort at the federal level, one that’s “informed by scientific evidence” and the general public, she says.
Consumers can choose whether to buy PFAS-laden goods and products, she adds. “We were sold this bill of goods, ‘better living through chemistry,’” — an old slogan by DuPont — but “the reality is, not always and not usually. So we have the power through what we consume and what we buy,“ Anderko says. “We should use it.”
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