The environmental violence exacted by PFAS, like the effects of radiation and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, can be difficult to prove. Only a few studies have examined the relationship between PFAS exposure and colorectal cancer (though the Yale School of Public Health has estimated that around 80 percent of cases are linked to environmental exposure). But on April 10 the Environmental Protection Agency announced the first federal mandate to limit the level of six PFAS in tap water. Going forward, water systems where they are detected will be required to remove them. Michael Regan, the E.P.A. administrator, called the announcement “life-changing,” and for me it was — it validated what I’d long suspected, that exposure to these chemicals can be devastating.
But if six PFAS sounds like a small number, that’s because it is. At this point, more than 12,000 formulations of PFAS exist and only a fifth of Americans’ PFAS exposure comes from drinking water. That means additional PFAS that have not been targeted for regulation persist in our water, soil and consumer products, leaving many Americans vulnerable to exposure. To reduce the risk they pose, we need far more comprehensive mandates that test, monitor and limit the entire class of PFAS chemicals.
In the 1930s and ’40s, manufacturing companies like DuPont and 3M began developing these substances for use as repellent in nonstick items including Teflon pans, Scotchgard and firefighting foams. But the chemical bonds that make them so useful as a repellent also make PFAS nearly indestructible; it’s why they have been labeled “forever chemicals.” They don’t break down once they enter the environment, and instead they accumulate in water, soil and our bodies.
Firefighting foams have been a major source of PFAS contamination since their development in the 1960s. In collaboration with the U.S. Navy, 3M produced foams that the Defense Department sprayed in routine fire drills and emergencies around the country. The chemicals eventually leached into groundwater at military sites like the ones where my father lived and water sources surrounding them. In 2000, 3M began phasing out its use of perfluorooctanyl sulfonate, a component of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, citing health concerns. Still, it was not until 2023 that the Department of Defense was banned from purchasing foams containing PFAS.
The E.P.A.’s move this month to regulate PFAS is a significant next step, but even in places where the groundwater is not highly contaminated, we will all still be exposed to unregulated PFAS without further government action. The chemicals are used in a staggering number of consumer products, including carpet, pizza boxes, microwave popcorn, yoga pants, bags and toiletries like dental floss, shampoo and cosmetics. They are still key ingredients in some firefighting foams; many fire departments still use these foams in emergencies like chemical plant fires. And in Texas, thousands of pounds of PFAS are being shot into the ground to lubricate drill bits for fracking.