Residents of a New Hampshire town where drinking water was contaminated with the industrial compounds known as PFAS have elevated rates of several cancers compared to the national average and compared to several nearby communities that were not contaminated with the chemicals, according to a study published today in the journal Environmental Health Insights. More:

• New Hampshire Town Polluted With PFAS Has Elevated Cancer Rates  –  The Intercept
• Bad Chemistry  –  The Intercept

• Toxic PFAS Chemicals Discovered in Hundreds of Products  –  The Intercept
• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Research article)

• Risk of Cancer in a Community Exposed to Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (Research article)
• Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and risk for polycystic ovarian syndrome, uterine leiomyoma, and endometriosis: A Swedish cohort study (Research article)
• Thyroid Disrupting Effects of Old and New Generation PFAS (Research article)
• Why is elevation of serum cholesterol associated with exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in humans? A workshop report on potential mechanisms (Research article)

Cattle from a small south-east Michigan farm that sold beef to schools and at farmers’ markets in the state have been found to contain dangerous levels of PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals” that can pose a serious risk to human health. More:

• Michigan beef found to contain dangerous levels of ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian
• Toxic 'forever chemicals' found in Michigan farm's beef  –  abc12.com
• Toxic 'forever chemicals' found in Michigan farm's beef  –  Great Lakes Now

• Basics of Biosolids  –  US EPA
• Biosolids: mix human waste with toxic chemicals, then spread on crops  –  The Guardian
• MPART investigation yields new data on how PFAS in wastewater biosolids can accumulate in plants and animals  –  Michigan Environment
• Report: EPA Unable to Assess the Impact of Hundreds of Unregulated Pollutants in Land-Applied Biosolids on Human Health and the Environment (Report)  –  US EPA

• FDA’s updated results for PFAS in food suggest progress but raise questions about its method  –  Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
• Chemical giants hid dangers of ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging  –  The Guardian
• PFAS in food: BfR confirms critical exposure to industrial chemicals (Report)  –  German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
• US FDA: Investigation of Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) in US food products (Poster presentation)  –  EDF
• Analytical Results for PFAS in 2018 Produce Sampling (Parts Per Trillion)  –  EDF

As regulators and growing public awareness have put the screws on some of the more well-known PFAS chemicals, other variants are marketed as safe and are rarely scrutinised. One such chemical is PTFE – an unregulated chemical in the PFAS family – which is used in a plethora of consumer products, giving materials that desired non-stick function. More:

• The Teflon chemical PTFE is often touted as a safe cousin of toxic PFAS. But is it really?  –  Chemsec
• Fluorinated polymers in a low carbon, circular and toxic-free economy (Report)  –  Eionet Portal

A school district in Washington state has offered an extraordinary $34 million settlement to students and parents exposed to toxic chemicals that lingered for at least eight years on a public school campus. More:

• School District Where Toxic Chemicals Lingered for Years Offers $34 Million Settlement to Families  –  ProPublica
• Toxic PCBs festered at a Monroe school for eight years as students, teachers grew sicker  –  The Seattle Times
• WA lawmakers, advocates call for PCB testing in schools in response to Seattle Times story  –  The Seattle Times

The researchers found that people might be exposed to inhalable fiberglass fragments from their mattress covers but are unaware about this hidden hazard in their bedroom. If inhaled, fiberglass can irritate or damage the lungs, and cause other harms. More:

• Fiberglass: A new hidden hazard in mattresses  –  EHN
• Fiberglass and Other Flame-Resistant Fibers in Mattress Covers (Research article)

• Flame Retardants  –  EWG

• Have you ever paused to think about the chemicals and contaminants you are exposed to inside your home?  –  EWG’s Healthy Living - Home Guide
• Choosing a Safe Mattress for Your Baby's Crib  –  EWG

Fifteen out of 23 popular sports bras have detectable levels of fluorine, an indicator of toxic PFAS, according to a new report. Sports bras made from synthetic materials, rather than cotton, were more likely to have detectable levels of fluorine. More:

• Evidence of PFAS chemicals in sports bras  –  EHN
• Immunotoxicity and allergenic potential induced by topical application of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in a murine model (Research abstract)

• Sports Bras & PFAS -Forever Chemicals- Purchasing Guide  –  Mamavation
• Investigation finds evidence of PFAS in workout and yoga pants  –  EHN

At 30 of those DOD sites, the chemical, PFHxS, was found at even greater levels in groundwater than at Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, the base linked to high PFHxS levels in the blood of Berkeley County, W.Va., residents. The higher levels of PFHxS were detected in monitoring wells located on DOD installations. It is unknown whether residents of communities near these 30 sites have been exposed to PFHxS in their drinking water. More:

• Almost 250 DOD sites have detectable levels of ‘forever chemical’ PFHxS  –  EWG
• The Pentagon Should Address All Types of PFAS on Military Bases  –  EWG
• UPDATE: Detection of toxic PFAS chemicals increases to 2,790 communities  –  EWG

• PFAS-Tox Database (Database)

• PFAS Exposure Assessment - Martinsburg, Berkeley County, West Virginia (Report)  –  US ATSDR
• Children’s Exposure to PFAS Chemicals Begins in the Womb  –  EWG

The finding from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection was just the estimated cost of remediating places polluted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are typically referred to as PFAS. It does not include other costs to the state, which could include reimbursing property owners or farmers whose livelihoods are affected by the chemicals. More:

• Maine may have to spend tens of millions per year to fight ‘forever chemicals’  –  Bangor Daily News
• Maine’s ‘forever chemicals’ problem has now spread to chicken eggs  –  Bangor Daily News
• No one knows how many ‘forever chemicals’ could be in Maine’s organic foods  –  Bangor Daily News
• Maine found ‘forever chemicals’ in deer, but has no idea how widespread the problem is  –  Bangor Daily News

Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFASs, are considered indestructible chemicals. They are virtually nondegradable and accumulate in humans and the environment. Suspected health effects include asthma, cancer and changes in the reproductive organs. How to get rid of PFASs has been completely unclear until now—and the first approaches to destroying the resistant molecules are showing promising results. More:

• How to Destroy ‘Forever Chemicals’  –  Scientific American

• The Fluorine Detectives  –  Scientific American
• Forever Chemicals Are Widespread in U.S. Drinking Water  –  Scientific American
• PFAS - Environmental Toxins Forever  –  Specktrum
• Ski Wax Chemicals Can Build Up in Blood  –  Scientific American

• PFAS destruction technologies are starting to emerge  –  C&EN
• PFAS ANNIHILATOR™ Destruction Technology  –  Battelle
• Supercritical Water Oxidation as an Innovative Technology for PFAS Destruction (Research abstract)

While there is growing awareness of the steep health impacts of global environmental changes—including the climate crisis, accelerating biodiversity loss, and an increasing saturation of plastic and chemical wastes—bringing the health and environment sectors together for joint action is easier said than done. More:

• The Health-Environment Nexus  –  IISD
• Health in the Global Environmental Agenda: A policy guide (Report)  –  IISD

A study claims that the production of chemicals and plastics has already outpaced our ability to assess and monitor them, and in doing so threatens critical systems that we depend on. The researchers behind the new study conclude that chemical pollution has crossed a planetary boundary. More:

• Earth’s limits pushed by chemical pollution as UN environment meeting nears  –  ChemistryWorld
• Our chemical habit is choking the Earth  –  Canada's National Observer

• Planetary boundaries –  Stockholm Resilience Centre
• Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities (Research article)

• Concerns raised over ‘regrettable’ BPA substitutions  –  Chemistry World

The widespread presence of these chemicals in dozens of products highlights concerns about the large number of PFAS exposures humans face via skin contact, indoor air and house dust. It’s already been proven that people are exposed through contaminated drinking water, food and breast milk. Textiles are now another category of concern. More:

• New tests find toxic 'forever chemicals' in bedding, yoga pants and other textiles  –  EWG
• EWG Explains: PFAS (YouTube)  –  EWG
• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Research article)

• Toxic Convenience: The hidden costs of forever chemicals in stain- and water-resistant products –  Toxic-Free Future
• Investigation finds evidence of PFAS in workout and yoga pants  –  EHN
• Non-Toxic Activewear Guide- PFAS Forever Chemicals in Workout Leggings and Yoga Pants  –  Mamavation
• High Levels of PFAS Found in Anti-Fogging Sprays and Cloths  –  Nicholas School of the Environment
• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics (Research article)

• EWG: At least 1,500 U.S. textile mills likely dischargers of ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• Twelvefold increase in suspected industrial dischargers of ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG

• Feeding the Waste Cycle: How PFAS ‘Disposal’ Perpetuates Contamination  –  EWG
• Study: Disposal of PFAS Waste Increases Contamination  –  EWG

• ‘Forever Chemicals’ Must Be Regulated as a Class  –  EWG
• Requirement to designate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous substances  –  US House of Representatives
• Landmark bipartisan PFAS Action Act passes House  –  EWG

• How you can protect yourself from PFAS contamination  –  EWG
• EWG's water filter guide  –  US EWG
• EWG Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database  –  EWG

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Working Group has identified more than 1,500 textile mills that may be releasing the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS that are responsible for contaminating drinking water across the U.S. More:

• EWG: At least 1,500 U.S. textile mills likely dischargers of ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG

• C8 Science Panel –  C8 Science Panel Website
• PFAS and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity (Fact sheet)  –  EWG
• Study: PFAS Act Similar to Known Cancer-Causing Chemicals  –  EWG
• PFAS Chemicals Harm the Immune System, Decrease Response to Vaccines, New EWG Review Finds  –  EWG

• EWG: At least 1,500 U.S. textile mills likely dischargers of ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• A Review of PFAS as a Chemical Class in the Textile Sector (Report)  –  NRDC
• Suspected industrial discharges of PFAS (Interactive map)  –  EWG
• How Michigan Reduced Industrial Discharges of PFAS  –  EWG

• Industry likely shirking EPA reporting requirements on ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards and Water Quality Criteria for PFAS  –  US Amendment Rules House
• Landmark bipartisan PFAS Action Act passes House  –  EWG

The non-profit Toxic-Free Future found that almost three-quarters of 47 pieces of outdoor apparel, bedding, and kitchen linens that were marketed as stain- or water-resistant contain one or more per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. And many of these items contained specific PFAS banned in the European Union and no longer made in the U.S. due to their health effects. More:

• PFAS widespread in water- and stain-resistant outdoor clothes, home linens  –  EHN
• Toxic Convenience: The hidden costs of forever chemicals in stain- and water-resistant products (Report)  –  Toxic-Free Future

• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) –  U.S. National Toxicology Program
• Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Perfluorooctanoic Acid Administered in Feed to Sprague Dawley (Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD) Rats (Report)  –  U.S. NTP

• Investigation finds evidence of PFAS in workout and yoga pants  –  EHN
• Systematic determination of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in outdoor jackets (Research abstract)

So-called forever chemicals exceeded maximum levels in 74 separate water systems that provide drinking water to more than half a million people across New Jersey, according to an Inquirer analysis of new data released by the state. More:

• First-ever New Jersey data say PFAS in drinking water exceeded safe levels at water systems serving more than half a million people  –  The Philadelphia Inquirer

Toxic, long-lived chemicals have been found in freshwater otters in the UK. The findings point to “widespread pollution” of the country’s waterways with PFASs — perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). More:

• Otters in the UK are heavily exposed to toxic ‘forever chemicals’  –  ZME Science
• Anthropogenic Drivers of Variation in Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales (Research article)

Risk of COPD increased among adults ages 40-74 ever exposed to pesticides on the job (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.28), reported Sara De Matteis, MD, PhD, MPH, of Imperial College London, and colleagues. More:

• On-the-Job Pesticide Exposure Increases Risk of COPD  –  MedPage Today
• Lifetime occupational exposures and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk in the UK Biobank cohort (Research abstract)

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey’s largest drinking water supplier discovered a toxic chemical in the river where it gets water for hundreds of thousands of customers, setting off a major search for polluters that led back to a Pennsylvania wastewater treatment plant and a South Jersey company. More:

• How a toxic chemical ended up in the drinking water supply for 13 million people  –  Politico
• Technical Fact Sheet – 1,4-Dioxane  –  US EPA
• Responding to Emerging Contaminants: 1,4-Dioxane  –  New Jersey DEP
• 1,4 Dioxane in the Delaware River  –  Delaware River Basin Commission

For Michelle Leahy, it started with headaches, inflamed rashes on her arms and legs, and blisters in her mouth.. Some students and staff at Sky Valley Education Center, an alternative public school in Monroe, also had strange symptoms: cognitive problems, skin cysts, girls as young as 6 suddenly hitting puberty. More:

• Toxic PCBs Festered at This Public School for Eight Years as Students and Teachers Grew Sicker  –  ProPublica
• DOE & DOH - PCB Chemical Action Plan  –  State of Washington
• Indoor Air Quality Assessment Report-Sky Valley Educational Center  –  PBS

A lack of information is an often overlooked but important cause of pollution exposure among low-income households or communities of color, according to University of Michigan researchers. More:

• Lack of information related to pollution exposure key issue for low-income households  –  Phys.org
• Racial, ethnic minorities and low-income groups in US exposed to higher levels of air pollution  –  Phys.org
• Inequality, information failures, and air pollution (Research abstract)