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Testing conducted in multiple U.S. states in 2019 has revealed that water sources such as rivers, creeks and even wells are polluted with chemicals proven harmful to humans and animals alike.<\/p>\n
The chemicals – called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances – have been used for a variety of industrial and commercial applications since the 1940s<\/a>, such as to give cooking pans and similar products water-repellent or "non-stick" properties, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The Food and Drug Administration states that there are over 5,000 different types of PFAS in existence.<\/p>\n Extreme levels of PFAS exposure has been proven to cause low infant birth rate, cancer and immune system impairment in human beings, the EPA states.The chemicals are considered particularly dangerous to living organisms because they do not break down over time, which has earned them the nickname "forever chemicals,"<\/a> according to Mother Jones.<\/p>\n By the start of fall 2019, news broke following the release of test results revealing that concentrations of PFAS contaminants were found at even more locations around the country in water sources in states including Alaska<\/a>, Colorado<\/a> and Wisconsin<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just weeks earlier, representatives from three companies that manufactured the chemicals – 3M Company, Chemours Company and DuPont<\/a> – answered questions and spoke at a hearing before a House oversight panel regarding who would be financially responsible for PFAS clean-ups and associated medical bills, The Guardian reported.<\/p>\n Firefighting foam spill in Connecticut <\/strong> Just days before the test results were released, close to 1,000 gallons of foam was also used at the airport on Oct. 2 – just days before the initial tests results were released – to extinguish the burning wreckage of a World War II-era bomber that crashed, killing seven and again raising Farmington River PFAS pollution concerns.<\/p>\n Contaminated Drinking Water in Ohio and California<\/strong><\/p>\n In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine ordered at the end of September that a strategy to address documented PFAS pollution in the state's drinking water supplies<\/a> be created by December. In Dayton, for example, contaminated wells had been shut down due to safety concerns, according to the Dayton Daily News. Widespread PFAS contamination has also previously been documented and reported in California<\/a>, according to the Los Angeles Times. CNN reported that drinking water used by 7.5 million Californians<\/a> has been contaminated by the chemicals.<\/p>\n PFAS: History and Hazards to Humans<\/strong><\/p>\n Two particularly dangerous forms of PFAS known as PFOA and PFOS are no longer manufactured in the US, yet can be imported into the country in products from trade partners who still use them, according to the EPA. Along with localized water body contamination in close proximity to locations with documented PFAS usage, traces of the chemicals have also been found in certain foods, household products, workplaces and most importantly – humans and other living creatures.<\/p>\n PFAS are also found in firefighting foam, which since the discovery of the chemicals' toxicity has led to the widespread testing of water sources in and around airports and military bases that use the substance. A 2018 Pentagon report found that PFAS have been detected at 401 current and former military bases, while off-base testing showed that the chemicals were present in one-fourth of well and water systems.<\/p>\n Aside from the manufacturing phase out and the EPA's drinking water contamination advisory that sets acceptable safety limits, there are no other federal guidelines in place regarding PFAS, Mother Jones claims. As a result, some states have adopted their own guidelines. The EPA is expected to propose a PFAS regulation by the end of the year, while more than 20 bills related to the issue have been introduced to Congress. 2019 marks the first year that the EPA has carried out testing for PFAS in foods and other products "typically eaten" by Americans, instead of limiting its work to known contamination sites.<\/p>\n
In early October, Connecticut state environmental protection officials received "long-awaited" test results<\/a> that showed elevated PFAS levels in fish from the Farmington River, according to the Hartford Courant. The tests had been conducted after thousands of gallons of firefighting foam had leaked into the river after it was deployed in a hanger at Bradley International Airport in June.<\/p>\n