Manufactured and used around the world since the 1940s, PFAS can be found nearly everywhere. These substances don't break down and accumulate over time -- both in the environment and in our bodies. According to the EPA, there is evidence indicating that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.
PFAS can be found in
- food packaged in PFAS-containing materials, processed with equipment that used PFAS, or grown in PFAS-contaminated soil or water;
- commercial household products, including stain- and water-repellent fabrics and treatments (such as Scotchgard), nonstick products and cookware (such as Teflon), polishes, waxes, paints, cleaning products, and fire-fighting foams;
- workplaces that use PFAS (such as chrome plating, electronics manufacturing, or oil recovery);
- drinking water near facilities that manufacture or use PFAS; and
- living organisms, including fish, animals, and humans, where PFAS have the ability to build up and persist over time.
While certain PFAS chemicals are no longer manufactured in the United States as a result of phase-outs, they are still produced internationally and can be imported into the country in consumer goods such as carpet, leather and apparel, textiles, paper and packaging, coatings, rubber and plastics. Some U.S. manufacturers stopped producing PFOA and PFOS -- which received the bulk of attention from scientists -- only to replace them with other PFAS. There are hundreds of other PFAS compounds which are still in production, many of which are direct replacements for PFOA and PFOS and have similar chemical makeups. All PFAS would be designated as hazardous substances under the proposed legislation.
According to a 2016 Harvard University study, Alabama has the fourth highest concentration of PFAS in its water supply behind California, New Jersey and North Carolina. Drinking water contamination in North Alabama has been linked to the 3M plan on the Tennessee River. The BASF chemical plant in McIntosh was also identified as a point of origin for PFAS contamination.
A draft toxicological profile for PFAS issued in June 2018 by a branch of the Centers for Disease Control was put on hold by the Trump Administration and EPA. The draft report suggested risk levels of 7 parts per trillion for PFOS and 11 parts per trillion for PFOA, as opposed to the 70 parts per trillion contained in a 2016 EPA health advisory. There are currently no legal limits on the amount of PFAS that can be discharged into the environment or contained in drinking water. According to a story in POLITICO on January 28, current EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler just recently signed off on a still-unpublished decision not to regulate PFOS and PFOA under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The issue promises to be a hot topic at Wheeler's upcoming confirmation hearing.
The bill was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
