Franklin Matters: “Everyone’s really exposed to a toxic soup of these PFAS chemicals”

Saturday, January 25, 2020

“Everyone’s really exposed to a toxic soup of these PFAS chemicals”

While the MA DEP is making the rounds seeking public input on proposed regulations, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has come out with a report showing the problem might be more than estimated.

"The contamination of US drinking water with manmade “forever chemicals” is far worse than previously estimated with some of the highest levels found in Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans, said a report on Wednesday by an environmental watchdog group.

The chemicals, resistant to breaking down in the environment, are known as perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Some have been linked to cancers, liver damage, low birth weight and other health problems.

The findings here by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) show the group’s previous estimate in 2018, based on unpublished US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data, that 110 million Americans may be contaminated with PFAS, could be far too low."