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By: Jackson Gifford Summary. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, are chemicals used in the manufacturing process of various products that we interact with on a regular basis. From water-resistant clothing, to food packaging, to even the food that we eat, PFAS have become a part of our daily lives without much notice. While PFAS have great use to manufacturers, they are dangerous to humans due to their inability to be broken down biologically. It has been found that PFAS will accumulate in the human body over time. Their increase in use has caused larger amounts of the chemicals to appear in the human body, and their concentration has been correlated to low infant birth weights and cancer, among other things. While the chemicals were thought to exist mostly in water and food sources, it has recently become more commonly detected in the air that we breathe indoors. This has been linked to PFAS’s use in carpets, floor wax, and more common indoor items that are used in private and public spaces. This has caused great concern in the health of children, who could be exposed to an onslaught of dangerous chemicals without their knowledge. This issue continues to develop by the day as new research is published and more chemicals are identified as dangerous. While the information about PFAS is relatively new, the EPA formed a council this year to address the concerns of scientists and citizens, which it hopes will be able to curb the use of PFAS by manufacturers in the coming years. Why we should care? PFAS are a new kind of contaminant that are not thoroughly studied. As new research shows the dangerous effects of the chemicals, we need to eliminate their use in production as soon as possible.  Photo Credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/forever-chemicals-pfas-air-cancer-b1911705.html Example Article. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/aug/31/pfas-toxic-forever-chemicals-air-breathing I found this article interesting because it shows how much we still do not know about PFAS. In the article, there is an entirely new compound that is identified as dangerous to humans that was initially thought to be safe. I think that there is still so much to be understood about PFAS chemicals, where we are most susceptible to them, and how our bodies interact with them. There are so many effects that humans have on their environment that are still unknown, and the new case of PFAS shows how in the dark we still are. This article does a great job of emphasizing the unknowns of the chemicals and why we need to be aware of them. Science in Action.
Maya Erin Morales-McDevitt is a Graduate Student at the University of Rhode Island. Maya Erin Morales-McDevitt is the woman responsible for heading the research that the University of Rhode Island published this year. Not only is this the study cited in The Guardian, but also in countless other news articles covering this topic. Her research revolutionized our understanding of how we interact with PFAS in the air, and how dangerous they actually are. Morales-McDevitt and her colleagues were able to identify completely new compounds that are dangerous to humans, and determined how PFAS particles are able to be transported through the air. This work alone will forever change the way scientists look at PFAS, and will surely change the ways in which they act to diminish their presence.
6 Comments
Mary Whitfield
10/18/2021 23:07:25
PFAs has been a huge buzz topic in the science community, rightfully so, but I feel its so much more involved than it seems. I know in the article it mentions that the chemicals PFAS is found in, but I have done some personal research on PFAs before and I found the creators of Teflon had done research of PFAS very early in the use of it and noted the dangers of it. However they did not release it nor change any of the use of it, for financial reasons. It frustrates me so much that its being labeled as a newly discovered problem, since they did know so many years ago and things could have been changed. Interestingly enough, Michigan is actually the epicenter for PFAs, I believe mainly due to the chemical runoffs from the many car manufactures though I am not entirely sure. It was interesting to learn in your response about PFAs being found in breast milk, I knew that PFAs were obviously were accumulating in humans but I didn’t know that it was in breast milk and being transferred to babies. This is super concerning as it begins to poison each generation. And since PFAs has no way of being removed from the environment, it seems that it will be a problem for many generations to come. Teflon is still being produced I believe with the same PFAs chemicals in them, which is very unfortunate that there are not more advances to come up with a better alternative.
Jacob Philip
10/19/2021 09:07:06
Thoughtful choice, Jackson. The area where I'm originally from has dealt with many cases of PFAS contamination as of late and I am interested to learn more about it and the harm it poses. It is troubling to learn that ultimately very little is known about the possible damage it could be causing.
Meghan Richardson
10/25/2021 18:11:42
Before watching the Dark Waters film in class, I really did not have any knowledge on the subject of PFA's. I find it scary to not fully understand something we put in so many products. Especially since we consume them and also throw them away as waste. This affects our environment and the animals living in it. I think PFA's should not be used until more research is done on them.
Rachel Mangulabnan
10/25/2021 22:59:48
The amount of things, down to the food we eat, that have PFAs in them is scary to think about. The fact that the damage is done and we have all been exposed and cannot do anything about it is upsetting as well. When you mentioned that the EPA only set up a council this year I was shocked. People have been exposed to, and living out the effects of, these PFAs for decades and the fact that they are barley scrapping the surface of regulating them in 2021 is baffling. It almost seems like a lost cause considering we all having it in our bloodstreams and it is so unavoidable it is in the air we breath.
Eric Domenico
11/11/2021 13:33:53
PFAS feel like a surefire way to permanently disrupt ecosystems all across the globe. The way that PFAS can be transferred up trophic levels from consuming other organisms plagued with them is fascinating and terrifying. Even if organisms were individually capable of avoiding these free floating particles, they will end up inside of them anyways from eating contaminated organisms.
Keara McLaughlin
12/21/2021 23:06:23
PFAS is so concerning considering it does not breakdown. Remembering Dark Waters, concerns with PFAS/PFOS/PFOA have existed for a long time. It is very scary to learn that PFAS is present in our homes and thus poses a significant health threat. I understand that oftentimes we have dangerous things in our homes, but it becomes very concerning when they effect our health. Leave a Reply. |
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