Toxic PFAS(Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances)-a large family of 10,000 non-naturally occurring and highly persistent chemicals, therefore known as ‘Forever Chemicals‘-have irreversibly polluted rainwater and the environment of the entire planet.
Protecting populations from risks related to PFAS exposure is extremely difficult and costly. All the more so since their molecules have been detected in the blood and breast milk of people and wild animals worldwide.
A global ban on the synthesis and use of these molecules is therefore imperative, and they must be replaced as soon as possible in the production of many everyday objects where they are still contained. Non-stick pots and pans, paper and cardboard food packaging, waterproof textiles, cosmetics, electronic materials (e.g., smartphones), etc.
The doomsday scenario is described in a Stockholm University study (Cousins et al., 2022) published in Environmental Science & Technology, the journal of the American Chemical Society. (1)
1) From Antarctica to Tibet, PFAS in rainwater.
The Swedish researchers screened environmental contamination surveys for 4 types of PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS and PFNA), collected since 2010. (2) The survey shows the ubiquity of PFAS environmental pollution, which is widespread even in the most remote areas of the planet.
Even rainwater in Antarctica and Tibet has revealed the presence of PFAS at levels above the contamination limits last established for drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 4 pg/l and 20 pg/l, respectively, for PFOA and PFOS.
2) Sweden in alarm, Italy in silence
More populated and industrialized areas are obviously more affected by the phenomenon, as seen in Italy in the cases of Veneto and the Po Valley, starting with Piedmont. And this is also the case in Sweden. A laboratory test conducted by Eurofins for Testfakta magazine reveals how shrimp from Swedish lakes have much higher levels of PFAS than those with origins in Turkey, Spain and Egypt. (3)
Consuming 3-5 Swedish shrimp is enough to exceed the tolerable weekly intake of the 4 types of PFAS mentioned, identified by EFSA as 4.4 ng/kg body weight. (4)
Given that drinking water comes from these same lakes, it is not surprising that in the recent European HB4EU biomonitoring, Swedish teens were found to be the most contaminated with PFAS, followed by French and Norwegian teens. (5)
3) I forever chemicals
The most alarming characteristic of PFASs is their inability to degrade. And that is why they are referred to as ‘forever chemicals’.
‘Persistence is generally seen as a less immediate hazardous property than toxicity, but in fact it is the key factor that throws off pollution problems. Persistence allows chemicals to spread over large distances, causes long-term, even lifelong, exposure, and leads to increasingly higher levels in the environment as long as emissions continue.
‘These increasing levels with high probability will sooner or later lead to negative effects,’ warn the study authors.
4) What damage to health
The sources of PFAS exposure are innumerable. From consuming contaminated drinking water and food (where substances also migrate through water-repellent paper and cardboard packaging ) to inhaling contaminated air outdoors and dust in enclosed rooms. As well as contact with waterproof clothing and cosmetics (or their packaging) containing them, and with electronic materials.
Established or strongly suspected health risks are increasing as research on toxic chemicals and endocrine disruptors evolves. Already, PFAS exposure is related to several diseases and health problems, such as cancer, infertility, hypercholesterolemia, and immune system impairment.
5) Global Announcement, TINA(There Is No Alternative)
Progressive restriction and banning of all PFAS on a global scale is the only solution available to prevent these toxic chemicals from continuing to poison the planet and accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals.
ChemTrust(Protecting humans and wildlife from harmful chemicals) clearly states the strategy to be followed, in the following terms. (6)
5.1) Responsibilities of governments
Governments must act now to:
- Promote the phase-out of all PFAS, at the EU level and in international agreements, (7)
- Ensure that the environment is carefully monitored for a wide range of PFAS toxic chemicals,
- Work on new protective regulation of all highly persistent synthetic chemicals.
5.2) Industry responsibility
Reg. EC 1907/06, c.d. REACH(registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals) defined limits and conditions of use of several other subgroups of PFASs.
However, the industry continues to replace regulated PFAS with other PFAS family chemicals, about 4,500 according to ChemTrust. Therefore, the overall concentration of PFAS in the environment continues to increase.
Industries must make immediate efforts to phase out PFAS chemicals, replacing them with safer, non-PFAS alternatives.
5.3) EU legislation in the making.
Five EU member states-Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Denmark-have been working since 2020 on a proposal to restrict all PFASs at the EU level by reformingAnnex XV of the REACH regulation, which it is hoped can come into force in 2025.
In turn, the European Commission has included in its new ‘Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability‘ (CSS, 2020) a number of actions including the phase-out of all PFAS ‘in all non-essential uses. (8)
6) Purchasing and consumption choices
Consumers can mitigate PFAS exposure-and help reduce the supply of everyday items with these hazardous chemicals-by choosing only those products that guarantee their absence. In summary:
- forego the purchase of pans, frying pans and pots with ‘non-stick’ coatings,
- Avoid consumption of fast-food and take-away foods kept in sealed bags or plastic packaging (in the absence of PFAS-free guarantees),
- forgo cosmetics that have chemicals whose names contain the words ‘fluorine’ or ‘PTFE’ in their ingredient list (INCI),
- Discard PTFE-coated interdental flosses,
- Select only waterproof textiles and garments with ‘PFAS-free‘ or ‘PFC-free‘ labels.
The ‘NO to PFAS’ movement–designed by Chemsec, an organization funded by the Swedish government–promotes the turn to non-hazardous chemistry and has already garnered the endorsement of numerous brands. (9)
#SDG3, Ensure Health and Well-being. #SDG14, Life below water. #SDG15, Life on land.
Marta Strinati and Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Ian T. Cousins, Jana H. Johansson, Matthew E. Salter, Bo Sha, Martin Scheringer. Outside the Safe Operating Space of a New Planetary Boundary for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 16, 11172-11179. August 2, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c02765
(2) There are about 5,000 PFAS. Those most studied are perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluoronononanoic acid (PFNA).
(3) Peter Willebrand. Svensk kräftskiva med bitter eftersmak. Testfakta, 15.8.22 https://www.testfakta.se/sv/livsmedel/article/svensk-kraftskiva-med-bitter-eftersmak
(4) EFSA. Risk to human health related to the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances in food. EFSA Journal, 17.8.20 https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6223
(5) SEE https://www.hbm4eu.eu/
(6) ChemTrust-a collaboration between CHEM Trust, a UK registered Charity, and CHEM Trust Europe-is accredited as a stakeholder with ECA(European Chemical Agency) and the Chemicals Stakeholder Forum (UK). As well as participating in the coalitions of EDC Free Europe, European Environment Bureau and International POPS Elimination Network. V. PFAS, the Forever Chemicals. https://chemtrust.org/pfas/
(7) The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international treaty aimed at eliminating or restricting the production and use of toxic chemicals of major global concern. The Convention today considers two subgroups of PFASs:
- PFOS and related substances, since 2009, in view of their global restriction,
- PFOA and related substances, which have been scheduled for global phase-out starting in 2019. V. ChemTrust. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). https://chemtrust.org/pops/
(8) Michael Warhurst. The EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability – one year on. ChemTrust. https://chemtrust.org/css-one-year-on/ 7.10.21
(9) ChemSec. Members. https://chemsec.org/pfas/pfas-movement-members/
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
