Avoiding PFAS: New EPA Regulations and Protecting Your Health and Environment

PFAS, also known as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are human-made chemicals.  They are used in everyday products due to their resistance to elements like heat, oils, and water. These components bead off PFAS products, but the chemicals are dangerous and toxic in large doses. PFAS are not biodegradable, which means they remain in the environment long after products are thrown in the trash. The chemicals wind up in landfills and oceans, contaminating nature and poisoning wildlife and humans. You will learn why we should all be avoiding PFAS.

Avoiding PFAS means understanding their role in everyday products. This article teaches you how to avoid them for a better world.  Knowledge is power!  You can improve our earth by avoiding PFAS and phasing them out of your life (and, hopefully, one day, the environment).

The Definitions, Characteristics, and Common Sources of PFAS Exposure

Initially, PFAS were created in 1938 to make coatings that were resistant to stains, spills, and sticking foods like scrambled eggs or baked chicken. Chemical use progressed, and PFAS could be found in various everyday brands by the mid-1940s.

PFAS are known as forever chemicals because of their strength against decomposition. They are some of the most potent chemicals in organic chemistry, making them resistant and resilient. Their composition is persistent and long-lasting. The products they inhabit have a shorter expiration date than the chemicals in them. They can remain in human or animal bodies after consumption, wreaking havoc on immune systems and causing health issues over time. Additionally, PFAS are water-soluble, moving easily and quickly through water and soil, contaminating the environment rapidly.

PFAS are naturally repellant to water, grease, and heat. You may find them in:

• Food packaging that requires grease resistance, such as popcorn bags, cheese wrappers, and frozen pizza boxes. This leads to contamination of food ingredients, leading to consumption that could be dangerous over time.
• Some clothing, upholstery, and carpets are treated with PFAS to keep materials stain-free.
• Non-stick cookware is treated with PFAS because it has a “non-stick” element that makes cooked foods come away quickly from pots or pans. Teflon is one example.
• Some cosmetics, like foundation, face lotions, and mascara. PFAS are utilized for their long-lasting, water-resistant properties.

PFAS exposure is widespread worldwide, resulting in backward steps in climate change and go-green initiatives. However, by being aware of the issue and opting for PFAS-free alternatives, you can work toward a healthier, safer future for upcoming generations and our planet.

What America and the EPA are Saying in 2024

After discovering the effects of PFAS on humans and nature, millions have begun advocating for the environment, demanding safer, healthier alternatives. In February of 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to take notice. America made a nationwide effort to cut down on PFAS in food packaging. However, plenty of the chemical contaminants remain, especially in thrown-away products that persist and spread in soil and water.

As of April 2024, America has enforceable PFAS limits in drinking water. The EPA rule states that contaminant levels must fall below four parts per trillion of two major PFAS chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid. Considered the most toxic elements in PFAS, these chemicals, are known as the GenX chemicals  They are to be tracked and monitored across municipal water systems nationwide. The rule will save over 100 million Americans annually from adverse side effects associated with drinking PFAS in water supplies.

Health Risks Associated with PFAS in Everyday Products

PFAS has been linked to the following health risks:

• Testicular, bladder, and kidney cancers
• Immune deficiencies, like thyroid dysfunction
• Infertility and developmental delays in children
• Increased cholesterol levels and impacted cardiovascular health
• Liver damage, congenital disabilities, and obesity

Three Steps to Reducing PFAS Exposure at Home

• Switch to PFAS-Free Products

Many brands offer PFAS-free alternatives since millions have caused an uproar over the chemical dangers. Check labels! If you don’t find PFAS-free alternatives in brands you like, consider switching brands to something safer and healthier for yourself and the environment.

• Filter Your Drinking Water

Use water filters with activated carbon or reverse osmosis systems, which have been proven to remove PFAS. These filters can further ensure clean, safe drinking water, in addition to the 2024 EPA rule.  We use a Culligan Water Filtration System and it works very well.

• Avoid Non-Stick Cookware That Contains PFAS

Opt for stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic cookware, which don’t contain PFAS and ensure safer cooking.  There are a few non-stick pans that do not contain PFAS, but you have to read the labels. Also, you can preserve natural non-stick properties by heating food on low to medium.

Make Informed Decisions and Advocate for a PFAS-Free Future

Be an advocate for a PFAS-free future. Educate yourself and others by staying informed with Consumer Reports about EPA and FDA changes to PFAS rules. Organizations like Defend Our Health and Toxic-Free Future offer valuable resources and updates.  They share information across communities to raise awareness about the dangers of PFAS.

Use PFAS-free apps to identify and avoid products that contain PFAS. You could join advocacy groups and campaigns, helping others work toward policy changes through polls, community education, and signed petitions. Support politicians and local representatives who aim to ban or limit PFAS and encourage local businesses that strive to remove PFAS from products.

Be an example. Many people have difficulty adopting healthier, safer practices because they believe they aren’t enough to change the world. However, by participating in safer, healthier practices, you remove toxic chemical use from your home.   Change the world one PFAS-free product at a time. It all starts with one person.

Summing Up: Implementing Small Changes for Big Impacts

Through education and advocacy, you can ensure a PFAS-free future for yourself, loved ones, future generations, and the planet. While some degree of contamination is irreversible, further contamination can be avoided. Changes like switching to PFAS-free products, filtering drinking water, and avoiding non-stick cookware can significantly impact your health, safety, and the world. A better environment begins and ends with you!

Check out Stoney Creek Farm in Tennessee to learn about sustainable, PFAS-free lifestyles. Explore how to live freely, protect the environment, and change the world!