Based on a new study conducted by US researchers, the country is littered with many PFAS-contaminated sites. More than 50,000 areas were polluted by per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which take a long time to degrade in nature or the human body.
PFAS Hotspots
According to the study that was recently published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, there are several categories of facilities that are incredibly likely to be contaminated with PFAS chemicals.
The study examined publicly accessible information on industrial sites, places where firefighting foams have been applied, and locations connected to PFAS-containing waste. In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, researchers found 57,412 potential PFAS contamination sites.
This comprised 49,145 industrial facilities, 4,255 wastewater treatment facilities, 3,493 active or former military installations, 519 major airports, and 3,493 other sites.
With the help of this new data, experts are working on mapping more sites in order to support efforts and regulations put forth to allocate funds for cleanup and rehabilitation initiatives.
What is PFAS?
As per Euronews, PFAS are a sizable group of thousands of complex man-made chemicals. A variety of products, including nonstick frying pans, food packaging, firefighting foams, and toiletries, use them.
Products containing PFAS first appeared in the 1950s when industrial growth compelled many manufacturers to incorporate the substance into various materials, giving rise to new uses, names, and applications for this class of chemicals.
As previously stated, PFAS are referred to as "forever chemicals" because they can be found in the environment for an extremely long time.
Dangerous Effects
Following Gizmodo, studies have shown a connection between exposure to these chemicals and cancer, infertility, and liver health complications. The chemicals have the natural tendency to contaminate water, soil, and the air.
Because of the substance's extremely strong chemical bonds, it does not really break down that easily in the environment, and it stays in a person's bloodstream indefinitely.
The Associated Press reports that wildlife agencies in the US also discovered elevated levels of the harmful substance in-game animals like deer, leading to health advisories in some regions where hunting and fishing are important economic drivers and ways of life.
Government Efforts
As per reports, Washington is implementing a comprehensive strategy to control toxic industrial compounds used in products like cookware, carpets, and firefighting foams that are linked to serious health conditions. This move by the government has been in the works since 2021.
Along with these initiatives, safety standards for exposure to these chemicals have been significantly tightened over the past 20 years as research into them continues.
According to AP News, the US Defense Department announced that it has been assessing and cleaning up PFAS-contaminated sites across the nation since last year. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is expanding testing of the food supply to determine how much PFAS Americans are exposed to through food.
