Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are everywhere.
These substances — which are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they can take up to 1,000 years to naturally break down — appear in domestic products, fire extinguishers, food, and water.
And they are known to cause health issues in reproductive, developmental, and cardiovascular systems, as PFAS have been found in bloodstreams, semen, and can even build up in the liver. “Forever chemicals” are also linked to various cancers and diabetes.
While countless climate and health experts have sounded the alarms, and scientists work tirelessly to devise solutions to remove these chemicals from our products and environments, policy is also needed to combat the impacts of PFAS on public health.
Fortunately, this year, at least 16 states have adopted 22 PFAS-related measures to either reduce or ban them from products or hold companies to account for the harm their products have caused.
Of those 16 states, at least 11 have enacted laws to restrict the use of “forever chemicals” in everyday consumer products or firefighting foam. This includes bans on PFAS in apparel, cleaning products, cookware, cosmetic products, and menstrual items.
In other states, lawmakers have passed measures that require companies to pay for testing or cleanup of these chemicals, disclose the use of PFAS in their products, and mandate the development of PFAS alternatives, according to reports from Stateline.
The states that banned PFAS in some products this year include:
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
And in Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Virginia, and Washington, other PFAS-related measures were adopted.
All of these bills — which range from regulations of PFAS in firefighting and medical equipment to regulating wetlands impacted by “forever chemicals” — can be reviewed in their entirety on a bill tracker by Safer States.
Safer States is an alliance of environmental health groups focused on toxic chemicals. Since 2007, the group has reported that 30 states have approved 155 PFAS policies, with a large number of those policies emerging in the past five years.
And in Maine, lawmakers are preparing to pass the first-ever total ban on PFAS in consumer goods, which would take effect in 2030.
“Over the past two decades, the knowledge of PFAS health effects has really exploded,” Jamie DeWitt, a professor of environmental molecular toxicology at Oregon State University, told Stateline.
“We now know that they’re linked with different types of cancer, suppression of the vaccine antibody response, liver damage, elevated cholesterol and developmental effects.”
These statewide actions echo sentiments from the federal government, as well. Earlier this year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency created new standards to limit PFAS in drinking water, giving water systems five years to comply with the new rules.
“Impacted communities have been raising the alarm bells and tirelessly organizing for these drinking water protections for years. This is a landmark decision that will save countless lives,” said Dana Colihan, a co-facilitator of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition.
While most agree with the need to keep water uncontaminated, there are some opponents of bills targeting industries, arguing that PFAS compounds help enable products to be non-stick, waterproof, or fire-resistant.
With that in mind, however, most companies have been willing to comply.
“When California restricted PFAS in textiles, all of a sudden you saw companies like REI saying, ‘We can, we’re going to do that. We’re going to move to alternatives,’” Sarah Doll, national director of Safer States, told Stateline.
While consumers still have the free will to shop from brands they trust to be safe, these kinds of regulations are especially vital for industries that create products people need.
“There are some consumer products where you can say, ‘I don’t need to buy that because I don’t want PFAS,’” Vermont state Senator Virginia Lyons, told Stateline. “But it’s really tough to say that [about] a menstrual product.”
Sen. Lyons was the chief sponsor of a bill that unanimously passed in Virginia in April, banning the manufacture and sale of PFAS in cosmetics, menstrual products, incontinence products, artificial turf, textiles, and cookware.
While it’s unclear what kind of progress may be made in reducing, banning, or researching “forever chemicals” under new leaders, individuals can continue to limit their own exposure to PFAS by avoiding plastics, seeking out PFA-free products, and supporting legislation at the local level.
Header image courtesy of Mali Maeder/Pexels
