Forever chemicals, officially called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a class of substances made up of the strongest-known chemical bonds. They’re often used in firefighting foam and water-repellent fabrics, among other commercial products. But PFAS’ use in manufacturing and firefighting often results in it seeping into the soil, thus impacting agriculture and the water supply. From there, the chemicals pose serious health risks: cancer, liver damage, and thyroid disease included. Worse, they’re seemingly impossible to remove from the body.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is supposed to keep track of PFAS levels, but as new research shows, it’s been missing the mark. Supported by the Society of Environmental Journalists and Fund for Investigative Journalism, the Guardian collected samples from nine likely PFAS “hot spots” around the country, then analyzed the samples using two separate tests. The first was the “EPA 537” method, which The Guardian says only tests for 30 of 9,000 PFAS compounds. The second is known to test for all compounds.
The EPA Water Quality Office in New Hampshire, circa 1973. (Photo: Unknown Photographer/Wikimedia Commons)
The latter test revealed that seven of the samples contained higher concentrations of PFAS than previously understood using the EPA’s method. In at least one sample, PFAS concentrations were 24 times higher.
Some might wonder—in a bit of a morbid way—what is the point of monitoring PFAS concentrations? After all, they’re called “forever chemicals;” doesn’t that mean they don’t go away? While this was scientists’ understanding up to a couple months ago, there appears to be hope that forever chemicals aren’t permanent, after all. As we reported last month, iodide, sulfate, and UV radiation could help destroy up to 99 percent of PFAS in a concentrated substance. Understanding the pervasiveness of specific PFAS compounds could also help prevent them from entering the soil or water supply in the first place, such as through manufacturing changes or legislation.
Going forward, experts are recommending that agencies like the EPA quantify PFAS concentrations using a “total organic fluorine” (TOF) test. Organic fluorine is a reliable PFAS marker, making the TOF test far more accurate than the EPA 537 method. According to The Guardian, the European Union is already looking into switching to the TOF test. It’s also working to regulate forever chemicals as a class beginning this month.
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