CLIFF NOTES: A UNC-led study published in March in the Journal of the Endocrine Society examined PFAS exposure and children’s bone density. Researchers tracked 218 children from birth to age 12 and measured PFAS in blood at birth and ages 3, 8, and 12. Higher blood levels of PFOA were consistently associated with lower forearm … Read more
CLIFF NOTES DEQ’s 2023–2024 study found PFAS in wastewater, biosolids, and soils at land application sites. Researchers reviewed 37 treatment plants and 19 land application locations across North Carolina. PFOS was found in 85% of biosolids samples and in every soil sample from repeatedly treated fields. North Carolina spreads biosolids on about 56,000 acres across … Read more
CLIFF NOTES● New legislation raises barriers to environmental rules.● Cost thresholds trigger legislative approval.● Critics say protections will be delayed.● Supporters cite regulatory oversight.● The law may slow responses to contaminants. A new law in North Carolina, modeled after the federal REINS (Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny) Act, is drawing strong … Read more
CLIFF NOTES● Small and rural systems face PFAS contamination.● Limited funding slows treatment upgrades.● Residents face prolonged exposure.● Federal aid can be delayed.● Point-of-use filtration offers protection. Recent data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exposed the breadth of PFAS contamination across the nation’s drinking water systems. A USA TODAY analysis … Read more
Simply Orange, a brand under Coca-Cola’s Simply Beverages line, is facing renewed legal action over allegations of PFAS contamination. A New York man, Joseph Lurenz, initially filed a class-action lawsuit in December 2022, claiming that Simply Tropical—a juice from the Simply brand—contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at levels far exceeding federal safety guidelines. PFAS, … Read more
A groundbreaking study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC has identified a significant connection between PFAS contamination in drinking water and a range of rare cancers. The research, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, is the first to examine this relationship across the U.S. on a large scale. PFAS, … Read more
Early Discoveries at 3M In 1997, Kris Hansen, a chemist at 3M Corporation, embarked on an unexpected journey that would unveil alarming truths about chemical contamination. Known for inventing Scotch Tape and Post-it notes, 3M produced a variety of products containing fluorochemicals. These man-made compounds, found in products like Scotchgard and Scotchban, played a crucial … Read more
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tightened regulations on forever chemicals, also known as PFAS in drinking water in April. With this action, the health hazards that these chemicals pose to about 100 million Americans will be reduced. There are no federal rules addressing PFAS in food, which has caused serious worries among scientists and people … Read more
The pervasive contamination of drinking water sources by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” near military installations across the United States has become a pressing environmental and public health issue. These substances, particularly PFOA and PFOS, have been detected in alarming concentrations in private wells, raising concerns about the long-term effects … Read more