A new study published in Environmental Science and Technology highlights toxic chemicals being found in school uniforms worn by millions of American and Canadian students, as lawsuits and controversy are gaining traction.
The chemicals, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are commonly referred to as PFAS or “forever chemicals”. The EPA website states these chemicals have been found in water, air, fish and soil in many U.S. locations, and that scientific studies have shown exposure to some PFAS may be linked to harmful health effects for humans and animals.
Research from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry points to specific potential health issues, including increased cholesterol levels, kidney cancer and testicular cancer, among others.
In an article by PBS, Courtney Carignan, an environmental epidemiologist, says it’s the property of the chemicals that make them hard on the body.
“It seems that the property that makes them useful — that they’re very persistent and they have this one part of them that really likes water and the other part that does not — also seems to be what makes them problematic in the body,” Carignan said.
PFAS and their prevalence have gained the attention of several states. Last year, California passed a law that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023, to limit or prohibit PFAS in food packaging and cookware. Maine will also carry out similar legislation by 2030 with intentionally added chemicals being banned unless they meet specific criteria that indicates the usage of PFAS is unavoidable.
Both Maine and the state of Michigan have documented cases of forever chemicals detected in other wildlife, particularly deer. A recent study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters also found PFAS substances at “screamingly high” levels in insecticides, transferred via chemicals used in storage containers that house the bug killing product.
The conversation surrounding PFAS is just getting started as scientific research and state legislation continue to address the issue. With a plethora of lawsuits filed against chemical-related companies in recent years, attention surrounding forever chemicals and their harmful effects is likely to keep ramping up.
Edited by James Sutton
