There would scarcely be any human or animal living in the contemporary world without any contact with some type of synthetic chemical. There are nearly 350,000 artificial chemicals in the worldwide market today, ranging from pesticides to plasticizers, insulators, and flame retardants.
It is indeed true that artificial chemicals are seldom good. However, the degree of their harm depends largely upon the amount of exposure or dosage. Sadly, man has succeeded in developing some very noxious substances, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS.
A group of over 12,000 chemicals sharing a complex carbon-fluorine bond, PFAS have become a modern woe. Researchers and scientists are concerned about their impact on human and animal life as well as the environment at large.
In this article, we will delve deeper into PFAS and what makes them a bane of modern existence.
These Chemicals Contributed to an Active Litigation
Originally, PFAS were manufactured in the 1940s to be used in consumer products like non-stick cookware and stain-resistant garments or carpets. They were widely popular because they repelled grease, oil, and water.
Gradually, their low viscosity made them a major ingredient in Class B firefighting foam. Also known as Aqueous Film-Forming Foam, AFFF is used to extinguish fires caused by liquid fuels. Given how effective AFFF was, it became a vital part of the firefighting industry for decades.
Sadly, cases emerged of firefighters developing life-threatening conditions like cancer as a result of prolonged AFFF exposure. They began suing PFAS manufacturers like 3M and DuPont in 2017. By 2018, all AFFF lawsuits were consolidated into a multi-district litigation or MDL.
TruLaw states that this lawsuit essentially has two parts – water contamination cases filed by municipalities and personal injury cases filed by firefighters and military personnel. Currently, water contamination lawsuits have been settled but personal injury cases are still awaiting trial.
PFAS Not Just Limited to Firefighting Foam
As we saw in the previous section, PFAS have truly wreaked havoc as far as the firefighting industry is concerned. In light of the chemicals’ toxicity, countries worldwide have banned all PFAS production by the end of 2025.
This means research is underway for non-toxic varieties of firefighting foam to put out liquid-fuel fires. Concerns exist that the non-toxic kinds may not prove to be as effective as PFAS-based firefighting foam. However, only time will tell if safer and equally effective alternatives are available.
Now, the problem associated with PFAS is not limited to the world of firefighting. Since no surefire way of breaking down PFAS is currently available, these chemicals can stay in the environment and human body indefinitely. This is why they are known as forever chemicals.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has at least 180 Superfund sites on its National Priorities List (NPL) due to PFAS contamination. Given the lack of funding, it may take around five decades before any proper cleanup takes place.
Besides, these chemicals have been detected in at least half of US tap water. Even simple food product packages come with PFAS coating. This includes meal brands that market themselves as organic, non-toxic, or vegan.
Moreover, scientists discovered that rainwater worldwide is contaminated with PFAS (including Antarctica). This goes on to show that PFAS have become inescapable. At the current rate, every human and animal may certainly have varying levels of PFAS in their bloodstream.
Somber Results of Yet Another Study
It seems like PFAS have always been bad news for health and the environment. The latest study only went on to reinforce this fact. This study did not directly discover the presence of PFAS, albeit the chemicals dominate the earth at this point.
What it disclosed was that those who consumed a diet rich in processed food items like sodas, candies, butter, chips, etc., had greater levels of PFAS in their bodies. Essentially, the consumption of such processed foods only enhanced the toxicity of the chemicals already present in the blood.
The study was conducted on a total of 700 people whose dietary consumption was monitored for four years. Interestingly, the study also revealed how PFAS in food packaging affects health. Those who ate burritos, pizzas, burgers, etc., prepared at home had lower levels of PFAS in their body compared to those who ordered takeout.
Butter likely increased PFAS levels along with bottled water. As of now, more public health monitoring is needed to see whether certain healthy foods may have similar effects.
Though PFAS production will completely stop by the end of next year, it is hardly a cause to celebrate. The repercussions of decades of PFAS production are going to affect generations to come. It can take more than seven years before the PFAS levels in the human body are reduced by half.
As for the environment, 3M (one of the defendants in the firefighting foam lawsuit) has agreed to pay $10.3 billion as settlements over 13 years. Municipalities will use this money to detect, manage, and remove PFAS from underground water. If anything, it will be a long and arduous process.
