For decades, PFAS have tainted the water, air, and soil in this region and across the country. These so-called “forever” chemicals, which don’t break down naturally in the environment, also have been widely used in products such as nonstick cookware and flame-retardant fabrics, as well as in firefighting foam used at current and decommissioned military bases. The contamination has had a significant impact on residents in areas such as Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, Monmouth County in New Jersey, and Dover and Blades in Delaware.
The numerous health problems, including some cancers, linked to PFAS have led to lawsuits against companies that make the products, such as DuPont and its successor companies, and 3M. Bucks County filed a similar lawsuit last week.
Towns, counties, and states have worked to eliminate PFAS in drinking water, and efforts to set maximum contaminant levels are underway in Pennsylvania Delaware. (New Jersey already has such an enforceable standard.) The Environmental Protection Agency last year announced a roadmap to address PFAS. However, the consequences of exposure are long-lasting — the compounds can stay in the human bloodstream for years.
What products in my home might contain PFAS?
In addition to pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, and nonstick cookware, grease-resistant paper and stain- or water-repellent clothes, carpets, or fabrics may contain certain PFAS compounds.
How do I know if a product contains PFAS?
“If your pizza doesn’t stick to it, it very well might. And just by looking at it, you may not be able to completely tell just by eye. But generally, if it is a non-stick type product, it may contain a chemical that is used to create that,” said Dr. Richard Hamilton, chair of emergency medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine. “Whether it contains PFOA or PFOS, or whether it contains some of the newer versions, it can be difficult to sort out.”
Should I be worried about consumer products?
The PFAS that are most troubling to people’s health are largely being phased out, Hamilton said, and there’s been a general decline in PFAS exposure. You should be more concerned with PFAS contamination in drinking water than in household products, he said.
“We can limit our exposure or the amount of time that food stays in contact with containers or whatnot. And, with some very basic hygiene, avoid dust particles that contain PFAS from clothing or fabric,” he said. “But we’ve got to drink water. And so I’d be more focused on water quality than worrying about PFAS in your diet.”
Dietary consumption can be another concern, though. For example, in November, Maine issued a “do not eat” advisory for deer harvested in the area of Fairfield. Certain farm fields have been contaminated by the spreading of municipal or industrial sludge for fertilizer that contained PFAS, said Asa Lewis, a doctoral researcher at Drexel University’s College of Engineering. He’s part of a team studying PFAS, and is working on technology to eliminate it from water.
Lewis said if PFAS aren’t regulated or tested, people can consume them from agricultural sources.
“I think it’ll be difficult to find farms that you could guarantee that there’s no PFAS in some of the fertilizers they’re using,” he said.