Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Wed, February 22, 2023
"Forever chemicals" are not only enduring, but they're also pervasive.
A new analysis finds that more than 330 species of animals across the globe – from polar bears to squirrels – carry in their bodies a class of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also called PFAS.
Known as "forever chemicals," because they do not break down as many others do, the substances have been linked in humans to risks for cancer, low birthweights, weakened childhood immunity, thyroid disease and other health problems.
Research has already shown that 99% of Americans have PFAS in their bodies. But this report released Wednesday by the Environmental Working Group shows more than 120 different forever chemicals were found in the blood serum or bodies of birds, tigers, monkeys, pandas, horses, cats, otters and other mammals.
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The EWG, a nonprofit that tracks governmental action on environmental issues, collected the findings of more than 100 studies in the last five years to create a map showing where researchers have found forever chemicals in animals across the world. The chemicals were found on every continent except Antarctica – however, no tests have been conducted there.
The map also incorporates another EWG analysis released last month, which found freshwater fish contaminated with PFAS in almost every state.
Most people in the U.S. have been exposed to PFAS, the Environmental Protection Agency says. That means the chemicals are found in the blood of virtually everyone, including newborn babies.
“PFAS pollution is not just a problem for humans. It’s a problem for species across the globe," said David Andrews, a senior scientist at EWG, in a statement.
"PFAS are ubiquitous, and this first-of-its-kind map clearly captures the extent to which PFAS have contaminated wildlife around the globe."
(To see interactive map, go to ewg.org/interactive-maps/pfas_in_wildlife/map)
A screenshot of an interactive map shows where PFAS chemicals have been found in wildlife across the world. The interactive map can be found at ewg.org/interactive-maps/pfas_in_wildlife/map
What are PFAS and what products are they in?
There are about 12,000 different kinds of PFAS and they're used in all kinds of commercial, consumer and industrial products, the Environmental Protection Agency says. They are used in water-resistant clothing and carpeting, paint, cleaning products, and fire-fighting foams.
The Food and Drug Administration allows some to be used in cookware, food packaging and food processing equipment.
Last year, the EPA issued a new health advisory for drinking water concentrations of two of the most commonly noted PFAS chemicals – perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, which is found in Teflon; and perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS. Both chemicals were used to make consumer goods but were phased out of production in the 2000s.
How do PFAS get into the air, water, animals and fish?
All PFAS include a carbon-fluorine molecule bond, one of the strongest known in chemistry. That makes them good for nonstick cookware, for instance, but also makes them virtually indestructible because they do not fully degrade in the environment or within living tissue.
PFAS were also used in stain-resistant and water-resistant compounds to protect clothing, fabrics, upholstery, shoes and other products.
A March 2022 study from Consumer Reports found PFAS in many takeout food wrappers and packages. It also noted a specific concern: packaging in landfills can eventually contaminate the water and soil, and if incinerated, can spread in the air.
EWG’s research has found PFOS levels in fish so high that even infrequent consumption would significantly increase the chemical's levels in people.
A 2019 study suggested cardinals around Atlanta were being exposed to "forever chemicals" or PFAS fromsoil, groundwater and air, with 12 different PFAS found in their blood serum.
What are the health risks of PFAS?
Studies have linked PFOA to kidney and testicular cancers, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, and other serious ailments in highly contaminated communities such as Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Very low doses of PFAS in drinking water have been linked to immune system suppression including reduced vaccine efficacy and an increased risk of certain cancers, studies have found. PFAS are linked with reproductive and developmental problems as well as increased cholesterol and other health issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Exposure to high levels of PFAS poses a health risk for both humans and animals," said Dr. Patricia Fair, a professor of public health at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, who was given an early look at the study and provided a comment in its release. "Many wildlife species, particularly fish, are an essential part of the diet of people serving as major sources of these chemicals."
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PFAS foam floats along Van Etten Creek after being dumped from a storm pipe of water treated at a granular activated carbon GAC plant from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
What are state and federal officials doing about PFAS?
Last June, the EPA issued a new drinking water advisory warning that negative health effects could occur at levels of PFOA and PFOS near zero and below the agency's ability to detect. The advisory set the suggested concentration of PFOA at 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) and 0.02 ppt for PFOS; the previous 2016 advisory set levels of 70 ppt for both chemicals.
By the end of the year, the EPA is expected to issue an official rule taking its findings into account and that would make its advisory enforceable.
At least 31 states are expected to consider about 260 bills on toxic chemical policies in 2023 – and at least 28 specifically considering PFAS-related policies – according to Safer States, a nationwide environmental health alliance.
Seventeen states are also pursuing litigation against the makers of PFAS chemicals found to be contaminating water supplies, the group says.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has allocated $5 billion over five years from the infrastructure package to help communities reduce PFAS in drinking water, including funds for water quality testing.
“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” said EPA administrator Michael Regan said in announcing the effort Feb. 13.
The support to these communities is "really important," Sarah Doll, national director of Safer States, told USA TODAY. "Because the Biden administration is starting to push to regulate at least these two PFAS out of any enormous class (of chemicals), it's telegraphing that this is coming and forcing communities that haven't already started to look (for PFAS), to look and to do the testing."
But some criticize the administration from moving too slowly. Biden said it would be a priority while campaigning, said Scott Faber, the EWG's senior vice president of government affairs.
In the meantime, "millions of Americans are drinking water contaminated with toxic forever chemicals and thousands of communities are downwind and downstream of polluters that are dumping and pumping PFAS into our air and water," Faber said in a media briefing earlier this month.
Signs from the Michigan Department of Community Health warn to not eat fish from Clark's Marsh in Oscoda, Michigan on the grounds of the decommissioned Wurtsmith Air Force Base due to unsafe levels of PFCs in fish and the surface water. The water tested at least 5,000 ppt for total PFAS due to the contamination at the former base.
Dig deeper
3M will stop making forever chemicals. What to know about their health risks
Testing for 'forever chemicals' lacking for tribal water systems
High levels of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in deer and fish
North Carolina: Are there PFAS in Asheville's water supply?
Wisconsin: 'Forever chemicals' standards in groundwater moves forward
Oregon: Drinking water systems mostly free from 'forever chemicals'
California: 3M sued over ‘forever chemicals’ that taint water
Contributing: Kyle Bagenstose, Marina Pitofsky, Scott Gleeson; The Associated Press.
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Animals have toxic 'forever chemicals' called PFAS in bodies: Report
Animals full of PFAS 'forever chemicals' have been found on every continent except Antarctica, new report finds
Morgan McFall-Johnsen
Wed, February 22, 2023 a
One study found PFAS in Florida's manatees.
James R.D. Scott/Getty Images
Animals, birds, and fish across the planet are contaminated with forever chemicals, a new report found.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose health risks to humans, and could also harm animals.
A map of 125 peer-reviewed studies reveals the widespread contamination of wildlife on Earth.
Animals are contaminated with hazardous forever chemicals on every continent except Antarctica, according to a new report.
Creatures ranging from tigers and polar bears, to red pandas and voles, to plankton in the sea, are likely accumulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by eating fish, drinking water, or simply breathing air, and it could put them at risk.
PFAS can be found in tons of manufactured goods, from food packaging and clothing, to firefighting foam and (formerly) Teflon pans.
Though they're useful for resisting water, heat, and stains, PFAS do not break down in the environment, earning them the "forever chemicals" nickname.
Rainfall and soil across the planet may contain unsafe levels of the substances.
Animals, birds, and fish across the planet are contaminated with forever chemicals, a new report found.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose health risks to humans, and could also harm animals.
A map of 125 peer-reviewed studies reveals the widespread contamination of wildlife on Earth.
Animals are contaminated with hazardous forever chemicals on every continent except Antarctica, according to a new report.
Creatures ranging from tigers and polar bears, to red pandas and voles, to plankton in the sea, are likely accumulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by eating fish, drinking water, or simply breathing air, and it could put them at risk.
PFAS can be found in tons of manufactured goods, from food packaging and clothing, to firefighting foam and (formerly) Teflon pans.
Though they're useful for resisting water, heat, and stains, PFAS do not break down in the environment, earning them the "forever chemicals" nickname.
Rainfall and soil across the planet may contain unsafe levels of the substances.
A red panda cub photographed in Seattle, Washington. In China, these animals have been found to contain PFAS.
Elaine Thompson/AP
That has led to widespread contamination of living creatures, according to a report published Wednesday by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit specializing in research and advocacy on household chemicals.
Researchers there gathered 125 peer-reviewed studies that tested wildlife for PFAS over the last five years. Not a single study in the assessment failed to detect PFAS in the animals, birds, or fish tested, according to David Andrews, a senior scientist at EWG.
That has led to widespread contamination of living creatures, according to a report published Wednesday by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit specializing in research and advocacy on household chemicals.
Researchers there gathered 125 peer-reviewed studies that tested wildlife for PFAS over the last five years. Not a single study in the assessment failed to detect PFAS in the animals, birds, or fish tested, according to David Andrews, a senior scientist at EWG.
Locations where PFAS-contaminated wildlife have been documented.
Many of the studies were testing near a known PFAS site, such as a firefighting base or industrial facility.
But often, Andrews said, those studies couldn't find an uncontaminated animal population to serve as a control group — a baseline far from the site for comparison.
"This is really a global contamination issue, and it's likely impacting wildlife everywhere," he told Insider.
Wildlife worldwide struggle against habitat loss, climate change, and sometimes poaching. The new report suggests that contamination from forever chemicals may pose yet another threat to many species' survival.
PFAS could pose a threat to animals' health
Polar bears in the Arctic also had PFAS in a study.
Mathieu Belanger/Reuters
The impacts of PFAS on animals' health are not well-studied, but for humans, research has linked exposure to the chemicals with some cancers, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, developmental delays, liver damage, high cholesterol, and reduced immune responses.
As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency has deemed the two most notorious PFAS as "hazardous substances" and is working on rules for reducing their presence in drinking water.
Andrews fears animals across the globe could face similar health risks to PFAS-drinking humans.
Some research hints at this. One study in North Carolina found alligators with high blood levels of PFAS showed signs of weakened immune systems.
The impacts of PFAS on animals' health are not well-studied, but for humans, research has linked exposure to the chemicals with some cancers, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, developmental delays, liver damage, high cholesterol, and reduced immune responses.
As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency has deemed the two most notorious PFAS as "hazardous substances" and is working on rules for reducing their presence in drinking water.
Andrews fears animals across the globe could face similar health risks to PFAS-drinking humans.
Some research hints at this. One study in North Carolina found alligators with high blood levels of PFAS showed signs of weakened immune systems.
An alligator swallows a catfish, which could be full of PFAS.
Getty Images
More research is needed to understand the stakes.
Just as studies in rats can't predict human health outcomes, studies in alligators can't predict polar bear health outcomes.
"There's definitely some uncertainty and likely some variation between species in terms of how these chemicals are causing harm," Andrews said. "That is also a unique aspect of these chemicals: how many different parts of the body and our biology they can impact and cause harm to."
More research is needed to understand the stakes.
Just as studies in rats can't predict human health outcomes, studies in alligators can't predict polar bear health outcomes.
"There's definitely some uncertainty and likely some variation between species in terms of how these chemicals are causing harm," Andrews said. "That is also a unique aspect of these chemicals: how many different parts of the body and our biology they can impact and cause harm to."
Phasing out forever chemicals is a slow process so far
US Environmental Protection Agency officials listen to members of the public comment during a PFAS Community Stakeholder Meeting, in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
US manufacturers have already phased out a few PFAS, but many of the thousands of varieties are still in use. Andrews called for replacing them with alternative substances.
At the same time, industrial facilities are burping PFAS into the air and leaking them into waterways. Cleaning up these emission sites is key to stopping more forever chemicals from building in the environment.
Last month the European Union released a proposal to ban the production, sale, and use of 10,000 PFAS. The proposal is currently under assessment.
In the US, the EPA expects to publish a national drinking-water regulation for PFAS by the end of 2023, including an enforceable maximum contamination limit.
"It will take regulatory action to move the entire market and country away from dependence on these chemicals," Andrews said.
Wildlife species worldwide exposed to ‘forever chemicals,’ survey shows
Sharon Udasin
Tue, February 21, 2023
US manufacturers have already phased out a few PFAS, but many of the thousands of varieties are still in use. Andrews called for replacing them with alternative substances.
At the same time, industrial facilities are burping PFAS into the air and leaking them into waterways. Cleaning up these emission sites is key to stopping more forever chemicals from building in the environment.
Last month the European Union released a proposal to ban the production, sale, and use of 10,000 PFAS. The proposal is currently under assessment.
In the US, the EPA expects to publish a national drinking-water regulation for PFAS by the end of 2023, including an enforceable maximum contamination limit.
"It will take regulatory action to move the entire market and country away from dependence on these chemicals," Andrews said.
Wildlife species worldwide exposed to ‘forever chemicals,’ survey shows
Sharon Udasin
Tue, February 21, 2023
Wildlife from around the world — from polar bears, to monkeys, to dolphins — may be exposed to cancer-linked “forever chemicals,” a new survey has found.
A comprehensive map curated by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) provides a window into just how many kinds of animals, including some that are endangered or threatened, may be contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Hundreds of studies have already identified these so-called forever chemicals in wildlife populations around the world, but the new map aims to consolidate that research into one interactive, accessible venue, according to EWG.
David Andrews, a senior EWG scientist, expressed his initial surprise at lack of any unified database for the “incredible amount of research that’s been done globally, documenting PFAS contamination in wildlife.”
“Everything from studies of crocodiles in South Africa, ticks in New York State and along the East Coast and scorpions in the Midwest,” Andrews told The Hill, listing animals whose exposure levels have been tested.
While the most common type of animals to appear on the map are fish, the data also includes many birds, as well as both land and aquatic mammals, according to Andrews.
The work builds upon an EWG study released in January that showed the extent to which PFAS are contaminating U.S. freshwater fish from coast to coast, the group explained.
In humans, scientists have linked PFAS exposure to many illnesses, such as kidney cancer, testicular cancer and thyroid disease. True to their nickname, forever chemicals are notorious for their ability to persist in the body and in the environment.
Known for their presence in both industrial discharge and jet fuel firefighting foam, these synthetic substances are also found in common household products, including nonstick pans and waterproof apparel.
Among the more than 330 species identified on the EWG map are polar bears, tigers, monkeys, pandas, horses, cats, otters, squirrels and other small and large mammals. Also exposed are many types of fish, birds, reptiles, frogs and other amphibians.
“From country to country, and across continents, PFAS pollution is everywhere,” a statement from EWG said. “No matter the location, no matter the species, nearly every time that testing is done we find contamination from these toxic chemicals.”
The researchers emphasized that the map is by no means an exhaustive list of all studies on animal exposure to PFAS and that it doesn’t reflect the totality of contamination worldwide.
But it does show that more than 120 different types of PFAS compounds — of which there are thousands — have been found in the animals that have been studied.
Although definitive health impacts have thus far only been demonstrated in humans, EWG researchers noted that science suggests that wildlife could suffer from similar effects.
Such consequences could be of particular concern for threatened species, who are already contending with problems like habitat loss and ecosystem destruction, according to EWG.
The map depicts how global PFAS exposure knows no limits — geolocating studies of birds, beluga whales, polar bears, dolphins and seals in places as remote as the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and on the shores of Greenland.
“It highlights the extent that these chemicals can be transported,” Andrews said.
The contaminants also show now respect for international boundaries. Tilapia and perch that inhabit the Nile River — which runs through a variety of countries — had measurable levels of PFAS in multiple studies.
“A lot of this is cross-border, and as far as we know, pretty much everywhere you test for PFAS contamination, you will find it,” Andrews said.
While the pollution is pervasive and reaches almost every corner of the world, Andrews stressed the importance of acting on the issue at the national level.
“No one country can fix this problem,” he said. “But at the same time, countries like the United States can take a leading effort in researching, identifying alternatives and moving the market away from the chemistry.”
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