What are PFAS? It's toxic & It's Everywhere!

Toxic chemical pollution threatens the environment and people in communities around the world. The Toxics Program addresses national, regional, state, local and international issues. Reducing exposure to hazardous substances protects families and wildlife, and improves our water quality and neighborhoods. A top priority is reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). For almost 40 years environmental organizations have struggled to reform this weak and ineffective national law. It has addressed few chemicals and remains unenforced. As a result, thousands of untested chemicals enter the marketplace without regulation or warning labels. 

PFAS: What are they?

The drinking water of more than 15 million Americans has been found to contain PFAS, highly toxic fluorinated chemicals, at concentrations of concern. These chemicals are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to people and animals. Fire-fighting training activities at airports and military bases are a major source of water contamination, as well as uses in manufacturing water and stain-resistant fabrics and food packaging. The pollution is now global with contamination documented in the people and animals of the remote Arctic.

Want to learn more?

• Sierra Club PFAS Toolkit
• MDEQ school drinking water toolkit
• Sierra Club national PFAS webinar (GoToMeeting will ask you to “register” in order to view the webinar, this information is not used by them in any way. The presentation starts at 0:2:25.)
• Basic Information on PFAS - EPA
• Find PFAS threats to drinking water in Michigan (interactive map)
• Issues Of The Environment: PFAS Contamination Throughout Michigan And In Washtenaw County, Rita Loch-Caruso, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, UM
• Environmental Health in Michigan: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), July 25, 2018, UM
• Federal Health Study on Drinking Water Contaminants Calls into Question Safety of Nation’s Drinking Water Supply
• Take Out Toxics: PFAS Chemicals in Food Packaging
• Highly Fluorinated Chemicals (PFASs) | Silent Spring Institute
• Ketchup or PFAS With Those Fries? | Silent Spring Institue
• Fast food packaging contains potentially harmful chemicals | Silent Spring Institute
• What You Should Know About Highly Fluorinated Chemicals | Silent Spring Institue
• Cancer-linked Chemicals Manufactured by 3M Are Turning Up in Drinking Water
• Update: The PFAS Contamination Crisis is Still Spreading | EWG
• In a First, California Moves to Protect People from Toxic PFAS ... - EWG
• The Teflon Problem: Why More Action is Needed
• Down the Drain with PFAS: The Latest on Testing, Measuring, and Mitigating Community Water Contamination (recorded webinar)