Firefighters are demanding independent testing for cancer-linked chemicals known as PFAS in their gear and that their union drop sponsorships from chemical and equipment makers. More:

• Firefighters Battle an Unseen Hazard: Their Gear Could Be Toxic  –  The New York Times
• Firefighter Resources, Cancer and Other Illnesses  –  US CDC
• Another Pathway for Firefighter Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Firefighter Textiles (Research abstract)

The researchers analyzed 526 drinking water samples across 66 Chinese cities for perfluoro- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are durable, man-made chemicals found in products such as textiles, firefighting foam, and pesticides. The study concluded that just under 100 million people in the examined cities have PFAS concentrations in their drinking water above safe levels. More:

• Hot Spots H2O: Research Finds High Levels of PFAS Contaminants in Chinese Drinking Water  –  Circle of Blue
• PFAS in food: EFSA assesses risks and sets tolerable intake  –  European Food Safety Authority
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Chinese drinking water: risk assessment and geographical distribution  (Research article)

Many Americans fill up a glass of water from their faucet without worrying whether it might be dangerous. But the crisis of lead-tainted water in Flint, Mich., showed that safe, potable tap water is not a given in this country. Now a study from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit advocacy organization, reveals a widespread problem: the drinking water of a majority of Americans likely contains “forever chemicals.” More:

• Forever Chemicals Are Widespread in U.S. Drinking Water  –  Scientific American
• PFAS Chemical Exposure  –  ATSDR
• Tap Water Contributions to Plasma Concentrations of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in a Nationwide Prospective Cohort of U.S. Women (Research article)
• Detection of PFASs in U.S. Drinking Water Linked to Industrial Sites, Military Fire Training Areas, and Wastewater Treatment Plants (Research abstract)
• Population-Wide Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Drinking Water in the United States (Research abstract)

An assortment of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) migrated into Anvil 10+10 from containers made of high-density polyethylene (HPDE) treated with fluorinated compounds and used to store and transport the pesticide, the EPA says. Anvil 10+10 is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide used to control mosquitoes. More:

• Mosquito spray tainted with PFAS from shipping containers  –  C&EN
• EPA Takes Action to Investigate PFAS Contamination –  U.S. EPA
• PFAS found in mosquito spray used in US states  –  C&EN

For the last two decades, the European Union has played a leadership role in tackling the risks hazardous chemicals pose to our health and environment. It has now proposed a new vision for a "toxic-free environment" and published a strategy for moving the EU towards that goal. Just as its current policies have inspired imitation, it’s likely that these new policies will drive significant changes in the U.S. and elsewhere. More:

• How the EU’s new ‘toxic-free’ vision could shape your safer chemicals strategy  –  Greenbiz
• The EU’s chemicals strategy for sustainability towards a toxic-free environment –  European Commission
• Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability 2020  –  European Commission 
• Understanding REACH  –  European Chemical Agency

• Walmart bring safer materials to the circular economy  –  Greenbiz
• IKEA: Specification on Chemical compounds and substances  –  IKEA

"Prevention is the cure for child/teen cancer." This is the welcoming statement on a website called 'TheReasonsWhy.Us', where families affected by childhood cancers can sign up for a landmark new study into the potential environmental causes. More:

• Op-ed: A push for answers about the environmental causes of child cancer  –  Environmental Health News
• Families seek answers for US rise in childhood cancers  –  The Guardian
• The Reason Why Us - Prevention is the Cure for Child/Teen Cancer  –  TheReasonWhy.Us
• Childhood Cancer Prevention (Report)  – CFE

Shredded carpet waste is increasingly used in equestrian riding centers. This waste is used along with polyflakes (a residual product from the textile industry) and geopad (shredded geotextile fabric). Crushed used car tires are applied to sports fields and playgrounds; this is what makes up the so-called rubber granulate. More:

• Children's playgrounds are a source of toxic microplastics  –  Plastic Soup Foundation
• Toxic Playgrounds  –  Youtube
• How hazardous carpet waste ends up in horse riding arenas  –  Plastic Soup Foundation

A study led by scientists at the Institute of Zoology at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) found high levels of PCBs were linked to smaller testicles in otherwise healthy animals. More:

• Ocean pollutants 'have negative effect on male fertility'  –  BBC News
• 'Cocktail of pollutants' found in dolphins in English Channel  –  BBC News
• 'Toxic chemical cocktail' passed to baby porpoises  –  BBC News
• Polychlorinated biphenyls are associated with reduced testes weights in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) (Research article)

Toxicologists are expressing concern that exposure to per- or poly-fluorinated substances (PFASs) can increase a person’s likelihood of developing severe Covid-19. There are also warning that PFASs could also diminish the effectiveness of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus. More:

• PFAS exposure found to increase risk of severe Covid-19  –  Chemistry World
• Severity of COVID-19 at elevated exposure to perfluorinated alkylates (Research article)

The chemicals in our environments, while sometimes useful, can also hurt us. Materials like asbestos fibers can move through the air and into the lungs in the form of tiny particles, causing long-term damage to human tissues. But free-floating, harmful chemicals are also emitted from the furniture, wallpaper, flooring, and household items around us. And these chemicals are entering our bodies, damaging them in many different ways. More:

• Chemicals called SVOCs, emitted from household objects, are altering children's microbiomes  –  Massive Science
• Dietary Exposure to the Environmental Chemical, PFOS on the Diversity of Gut Microbiota, Associated With the Development of Metabolic Syndrome (Research article)
• A framework to model exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in indoor environments (Research abstract)

• Tracking SVOCs’ Transfer from Products to Indoor Air and Settled Dust with Deuterium-Labeled Substances (Research article)
• Indoor SVOC pollution in China: a review (Research article)
• Monitoring and analytics of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in indoor air (Research abstract)

• Indoor Air Quality - SVOCs and Health –  Scientific Findings Resource Bank (IAQ-SFRB)
• House Dust Concentrations of Organophosphate Flame Retardants in Relation to Hormone Levels and Semen Quality Parameters (Research article)
• Health ranking of ingested semi‐volatile organic compounds in house dust: an application to France (Research abstract)
• Exposures to Semivolatile Organic Compounds in Indoor Environments and Associations with the Gut Microbiomes of Children (Research abstract)

• Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health (Scientific analysis)
• The gut microbiome in health and in disease (Research article)

A Michigan-based environmental group has found many nonstick pans are coated with a chemical from the PFAS family. The group tested 14 cooking pans and 10 baking pans from different retailers in different price ranges. It found 77% of the cooking pans were coated with PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene. 20% of the baking pans had PTFE. More:

• Nonstick pans often don't note they use PFAS  –  Michigan Radio
• Undisclosed PFAS coatings common on cookware, research shows  –  Ecology Center
• What's Cooking? Nonstick Pan Study 2020  –  Ecology Center

A group of manmade substances that can cause serious health problems in humans and animals is increasingly threatening U.S. drinking water systems, experts say. Scientists are working hard to better understand per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances — or PFAS — and develop technologies to minimize harm from these extraordinarily durable pollutants. More:

• PFAS chemicals are turning up in tap water across the country. How do we get them out  –  ENSIA

• Michigan Dept. of Military and Veteran Affairs Employs PlumeStop at Grayling Army Airfield (Case Study) – Regenesis
• Blasting 'Forever' Chemicals Out of the Water with a Blast of Cold Plasma  –  Drexel University Now
• Treating PFAS water contamination with cold plasma  –  The Michigan Engineer News Center
• Plasma-Based Water Treatment: Efficient Transformation of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Prepared Solutions and Contaminated Groundwater (Research abstract)
• Destruction of PFAS and Organic Co-Occurring Chemicals in Water and Soil Present in Investigation-Derived Waste Using Novel Adsorbent and Ultrasound (Research article)
• Defluorination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) by Acidimicrobium sp. Strain A6 (Research article)
• Degradation of Halogenated Hydrocarbons & Characterization of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Treated Wastewater Reclaimed For Direct Potable Reuse (Research article)

• DOD Moving Forward With Task Force to Address PFAS  –  U.S. Department of Defense
• EPA  Awards $2.7 Million to Small Businesses to Commercialize Environmental Technologies  –  U.S. EPA News Releases
• Bill Gates-Backed Venture Aims to Eliminate ‘Forever Chemicals’  –  Bloomberg
• Bill Gates-Backed Ginkgo Bioworks Has A New $40 Million Spinout Using Synthetic Biology To Clean Wastewater  –  Forbes

"Forever chemicals" used in water-repellant outdoor gear have been found in snow from the top of Mount Everest. These human-made per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—which have been linked to birth defects, high cholesterol and increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer—could eventually pose a risk for trekkers, climbers and residents who drink the water. More:

• Miner finds outdoor gear 'forever chemicals' in snow near Everest summit  –  Phys.org
• Deposition of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ on Mt. Everest (Research article)

Chemicals called PFAS – known as forever chemicals – are in the blood of virtually every person on the planet. And they will only accumulate. Studies are now raising concerns that some of these forever chemicals may negatively impact our immune system – and possibly even the efficacy of vaccines. More:

• The poison found in everyone, even unborn babies – and who is responsible for it  –  The Guardian

The troubles tainting his tap: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a broad category of chemicals invented in the mid-1900s to add desirable properties such as stain-proofing and anti-sticking to shoes, cookware and other everyday objects. Manufacturers in Fayetteville, North Carolina had been discharging them into the Cape Fear River — a regional drinking water source — for decades. More:

• From Alaska to Florida, harmful PFAS compounds pollute water at multiple sites in every state  –  Ensia
• PFAS Environmental Fate and Transport (Factsheet)  –  US ITRC
• Reducing PFAS in Drinking Water with Treatment Technologies  –  US EPA

• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  ATSDR
• Severity of COVID-19 at elevated exposure to perfluorinated alkylates (Research article)
• Evaluation of Maternal, Embryo, and Placental Effects in CD-1 Mice following Gestational Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) or Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Dimer Acid (HFPO-DA or GenX) (Research article)

• Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS  –  US EPA
• Michigan Adopts Drinking Water Criteria for 7 PFAS Compounds  –  The National Law Review

Cotton accounts for only around 2.3% of the world’s arable land, but it uses over 16% of global insecticides. Between pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, the global cotton crop uses 8.2 million metric tons of chemicals. Those inputs impoverish the soil, pollute waterways, decimate biodiversity and often poison people, too. More:

• Changing the Fabric of Our Clothes to Cut Climate Emissions  –  The Revelator

• Introducing Organic Cotton  –  KiRiVOO
• What Are the Most Sustainable Fabrics?  –  Goon On You
• Yield and Economic Performance of Organic and Conventional Cotton-Based Farming Systems – Results from a Field Trial in India (Research article)
• Naturally Colored Organic Cotton and Naturally Colored Cotton Fiber Production (Research abstract)
• 2020 Organic Cotton Market Report (OCMR) Released  –  Textile Exchange

• Environmental Impact of the Global Apparel and Footwear Industries Study  (Report) –  Quantis
• The High Price of Fast Fashion  –  The Wall Street Journal

Elevated levels of a PFAS compound were associated with more severe forms of Covid-19, according to a Danish study. The research, which involved 323 patients infected with the coronavirus, found that those who had elevated levels of a chemical called PFBA were more than twice as likely to have a severe form of the disease. More:

• PFAS Chemical Associated With Severe Covid-19  –  The Intercept
• Severity of COVID-19 at elevated exposure to perfluorinated alkylates (Research article)

In the weeks before the coronavirus began tearing through California, the city of Commerce made an expensive decision: It shut down part of its water supply. More:

• Well water throughout California contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’  –  Cal Matters
• With new state law, Pico Rivera’s water is now considered tainted  –  Whittier Daily News
• CompTox Chemicals Dashboard - PFAS MASTER LIST  –  US EPA

Human Exposure

• PFAS - How can I be exposed?  –  US ATSDR
• The C8 Health Project: Design, Methods, and Participants (Research article)
• Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in the U.S. population: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (Research article)
• Pre- and Postnatal Exposure to Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) (Research abstract)

• Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) or Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) (Monograph)
• Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Exposures and Incident Cancers among Adults Living Near a Chemical Plant (Research article)
• Serum Vaccine Antibody Concentrations in Children Exposed to Perfluorinated Compounds (Research article)
• Structural equation modeling of immunotoxicity associated with exposure to perfluorinated alkylates (Research article)

• Notification Level Recommendations for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)  –  California OEHHA
• PFOA and PFOS: Response Levels Lowered for Water Systems  –  California Water Boards
• AB-756 Public water systems: perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances.  –  California Legislative Information
• USEPA Announces Major Actions to Address PFAS; California Water Utility Files Landmark PFAS Lawsuit in Federal District Court  –  Downey Brand
• DuPont Agrees to EPA Request To Phase Out Teflon Compound  –  The Wall Street Journal

• Reducing PFAS in Drinking Water with Treatment Technologies  –  US EPA Science Matters Newsletter
• PFAS in Orange County  –  Orange County Water Distric
• PFAS In-Home Filtration Systems  –  Michigan.gov
• SCV Water Celebrates the Completion of Water Treatment Facility During Virtual Ribbon Cutting  –  SCV Water
• How DuPont may avoid paying to clean up a toxic 'forever chemical'  –  NBC News

Scientists have detailed more than 200 uses of PFAS chemicals in 64 industrial areas, including mining, book conservation, plastics production, photography, printing, watchmaking, car manufacturing, air conditioning, fingerprinting, and particle physics. Many of the uses, which are laid out in the research article below, were previously unknown. More:

• Toxic PFAS Chemicals Discovered in Hundreds of Products  –  The Intercept
• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Research article)

• Contaminants in New Jersey Soil and Water Are Toxic, Records Reveal  –  The Intercept
• Top Toxicologist Banned From Saying PFAS Causes Disease  –  The Intercept
• Did the White House Block EPA Action on PFAS Chemicals  –  The Intercept

• These Five Brands Of Dental Floss May Expose People To Harmful Chemicals, Study Finds  –  BuzzFeedNews
• Tests Find PFAS Chemicals in Cosmetics at ‘Elevated Levels’  –  Environmental Working Group

A single PFAS chemical featured in the movie “Dark Waters” last year about contamination from a Teflon plant in Parkersburg, W.Va. resulted in a $670 million court settlement. A community study showed the chemical was linked to six diseases: kidney cancer, increased cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, preeclampsia and testicular cancer. More:

• PFAS chemicals are ubiquitous. A Pitt scientist is working to protect you from thousands of types at once.  –  Public Source
• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Research article)

• Potentially Hazardous Chemicals Are Found in Fast-Food Packaging, a New Report Finds  –  Consumer Reports
• The Secret Ingredient in Your Microwave Popcorn: PFAS Chemicals  –  Discover Magazine

• PFAS contamination is likely at Pittsburgh airport. Airports may face legal challenges by doing nothing.  –  Public Source
• Coraopolis drinking water shows PFAS contamination among highest in PA, but below federal advisory  –  Public Source