CLIFF NOTES AI growth is increasing demand for PFAS used in semiconductor manufacturing and advanced data-center cooling. ChemSec reports that most major PFAS producers are expanding or planning additional production. Semiconductor manufacturers say some PFAS applications currently lack practical drop-in substitutes. U.S., European and UK regulators are tightening or evaluating PFAS controls as industrial demand … Read more
CLIFF NOTES: The Fifth Circuit ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to clean drinking water. The 10-judge majority rejected Fourteenth Amendment claims brought by four Jackson, Mississippi, residents. The court also declined to recognize a constitutional right to truthful government information about contaminated municipal water. Federal laws such as the Safe … Read more
CLIFF NOTES CFPUA’s PFAS lawsuit against Chemours and DuPont remains active despite North Carolina’s major settlement. CFPUA spent $43 million adding eight activated carbon filters to the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant. The utility says Chemours and DuPont should pay contamination-related costs, not CFPUA ratepayers. The Cape Fear River contamination involves GenX and other PFAS chemicals … Read more
CLIFF NOTES: About 30 Minnesota communities experienced cyber-related water-system disruptions over roughly 48 hours. Plymouth, Maple Plain, and South St. Paul used manual operations to maintain water service. Braham asked residents to conserve water after computerized pumping controls went offline, but the system returned in about two hours. Officials said water quality remained safe and … Read more
CLIFF NOTES Virginia’s drinking water infrastructure received a C+ grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Virginia has 2,860 public water systems, some of which are more than 200 years old. Aging pipes, population growth, demand, funding limitations, flooding, and drought contribute to infrastructure concerns. Newport News Waterworks says sustained local, state, and federal … Read more
CLIFF NOTES: A 30-inch sewer force main broke in Portsmouth on Aug. 4. The failure released an estimated 3.15 million gallons of sewage and wastewater. A recreational water advisory for Hull Creek was issued Aug. 5 and later lifted. A second crack required an additional repair clamp on Aug. 11. Virginia health officials reported no … Read more
CLIFF NOTES More than 30 Minnesota water systems were targeted in a coordinated cyberattack. Officials found no evidence that drinking water became contaminated. Several cities temporarily relied on manual operations and backup procedures. Federal investigators continue to examine who was responsible. The incident highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity in protecting public water systems. More … Read more
CLIFF NOTES Researchers followed 107 mother-child pairs in the United States and Mexico. Higher early-life PFAS exposure was associated with increased intestinal inflammation markers. Exposure was measured during pregnancy, at birth or shortly after birth. Elevated fecal calprotectin does not prove that a child has inflammatory bowel disease. Reverse osmosis and other certified treatment technologies … Read more
CLIFF NOTES Seventeen environmental groups asked the EPA to reject Opteon 2P50. Chemours wants the PFAS refrigerant approved for two-phase datacenter cooling. The coalition says the company understated possible health and climate risks. Chemours says the cooling system is closed-loop and releases are low. The EPA decision could shape future chemical use across the datacenter … Read more
CLIFF NOTES: Researchers tested coronary blood from 61 patients in Italy. Microplastics appeared in 84.2% of severe heart attack patients. Polyethylene was found in 97% of patients who tested positive. Smoking was the strongest independent predictor of detectable plastics. The study found an association but did not prove that plastics cause heart attacks. A new … Read more