What Is The Big Deal With PFOS and PFOA (PFAS)?

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What Is The Big Deal With PFOS and PFOA (PFAS)?

The challenges of this contaminant are  rapidly moving through the water industry.

Recently you have read articles about the dangers of PFAS in our drinking water. Some states, have set maximum contaminant levels (MCL) and public health advisories for the contaminant in drinking water. On June 20th, 2018 the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) published long-awaited health standards on 14 chemicals in the PFAS family. ATSDR’s 852-page report said there is growing evidence of a link between PFAS chemicals and ill health, and that most studies focus on PFOA and PFOS.

What Is PFAS?

PFAS are fluorinated organic chemicals that are part of a larger group of chemicals referred to as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances PFAS. PFAS have been extensively produced and studied in the United States. These man made substances has been synthesized for water and lipid resistance. It has been used extensively in consumer products such as carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food, and other materials (e.g., cookware) designed to be waterproof, stain-resistant or non-stick. In addition, they have been used in aqueous firefighting foam (AFFF).

How Do We Get Exposed To PFAS?

People are exposed to PFOS and PFOA through food, food packaging, consumer products, house dust, and drinking water. Exposure through drinking water has become an increasing concern due to the tendency of PFASs to accumulate in groundwater. Such contamination is typically localized and associated with a specific facility, for example, an industrial facility where these chemicals were manufacture or used in other products, or airfield which used the chemicals for firefighting. Between 2000 and 2002, PFOS was voluntarily phased out of production in the U.S. by its primary manufacturer. Beginning in 2006 other manufacturers began to voluntarily limit the number of ongoing uses. The Department of Defense identified 401 military sites with known or suspected PFAS contamination due to the use of AFFF.

Read Bill's entire post about Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) here

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