Urgent action needed on highly persistent PFAS chemicals
A new CHEM Trust briefing highlights the threats posed to the environment and human health by a family of over 4,000 highly persistent chemicals: PFAS (Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), also known as the ‘forever chemicals’.
IPEN presents the third in a series of papers prepared by an international panel of experts on PFAS chemicals. This paper, Perfluorohexane Sulfonate (PFHxS)— Socio-Economic Impact, Exposure, and the Precautionary Principle, offers unique insights about threats to drinking water sources, public health and the occupational health of firefighters due to the particular physico-chemical properties of PFHxS, including its greater mobility, hydrogeological fractionation, and long elimination half-life in people.
Anchorage, Alaska, USA The Alaska PFAS Action Coalition (APAC), Gustavus PFAS Action Coalition, and Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) will hold a news conference Wednesday, September 25th at the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel 4800 at Spenard Rd. at 12:00pm.
IPEN has convened an international panel of independent experts from the fields of fire safety, chemistry, policy, and remediation to present at this side event. The panel also offers the third in a series of papers about PFAS chemicals: sources of contamination, implications for public and occupational health, safe alternatives, and remediation.
In February 2019, under growing public and political pressure, the US EPA finally announced plans to address PFOS and PFOA, two toxic chemicals widespread in drinking water that are still unregulated in the US after decades of use. Instead of praise, the EPA announcement triggered anger after the public realized that the agency will conduct years of assessment before actually regulating them. US residents may be more incensed if they know that the rest of the world has already acted globally on these substances.
Geneva Negotiators from more than 180 countries are nearing agreement on a global ban on a toxic chemical linked to cancer and other health issues, but China is pushing for an exemption for use in firefighting foams, campaigners said on Wednesday.