In the News

Indoor Dust Contains PFAS and Other Toxic Chemicals (The Intercept | April 14, 2021)
A new study of indoor dust found PFAS and other toxics that can lead to infertility, diabetes, obesity, abnormal fetal growth, and cancers.

Mystery deepens over origin of dangerous chemicals found at massive gasoline spill (NC Policy Watch | March 30, 2021)
Mysterious discrepancies in test results between Colonial Pipeline and NC DEQ have raised questions about the origin of PFAS found at a major gasoline spill site in Huntersville, NC.

Can microbes save us from PFAS? (c&en | March 21, 2021)
Researchers are investigating whether microbes can help break down fluorinated contaminants as the organisms break down polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

PFAS in pesticides: ‘A problem of epic proportions’ (E&E News | March 5, 2021)
According to testing done by environmental watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, PFAS are present in multiple publicly available herbicides and insecticides.

I tested my tap water, household products and cat for toxic ‘forever chemicals’ (The Guardian | February 23, 2021)
The extent of PFAS contamination is only now coming into focus. Here’s what I learned from investigating my home.

Pittsboro board pushes ahead with PFAS filtration system (Chatham News + Record | February 10, 2021)
Pittsboro leaders are working to address the town’s water contamination issues, but the price tag keeps rising.

CFPUA writes letter to state regulators over ‘apparent ineffectiveness’ of Chemours to reduce ‘mass loading’ of PFAS in Cape Fear River (WECT | February 9, 2021)
CFPUA expressed concerns about “ineffectiveness of measures Chemours has taken so far to reduce the mass loading of its PFAS into the Cape Fear River.”

Duke study finds high PFAS levels in Pittsboro residents’ blood (NC Health News | October 29, 2020)
The study says about 1 million people may be drinking water that contains PFAS contamination that originates in the Haw River and flows downstream into the Cape Fear River.

FDA Delays Setting Limits on PFAS in Bottled Water (Consumer Reports | October 28, 2020)
The agency relies on outdated research to explain why it’s ‘premature’ to regulate the toxic chemicals, despite pressure from consumer advocates and a major industry group.

NC Nonprofits Petition EPA over PFAS (Coastal Review Online | October 14, 2020)
A half-dozen public health, environmental and environmental justice groups are demanding a federal response to alleged corporation negligence in handling chemical compounds that they say are poisoning residents of the Cape Fear region.

California bans PFAS firefighting foams (c&en | October 1, 2020)
California is halting the sale, manufacture, and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS by 2022. It is also prohibiting 24 chemicals from use in cosmetics.

Why dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ are allowed in US drinking water (The Guardian | September 24, 2020)
The federal government has still not set limits for PFAS compounds, and some allege that could be because it is a polluter of them itself.

Some sparkling water brands have PFAS chemicals, study finds (CBS News | September 24, 2020)
Consumer Reports researchers examined more than 40 brands of bottled water and found that sparkling water was more likely to include higher levels of the PFAS than still water.

EU agency sets limit on PFAS in food (c&en| September 17, 2020)
Food regulators in the European Union have updated their guidelines for protecting consumers from four types of PFAS in food.

PFAS-laced water caused infertility, premature births and low birthweight, study says (StarTribune | September 11, 2020)
Residents who drank water polluted with PFAS experienced elevated rates of infertility, premature births and low birthweight babies due to the contaminants, according to a multiyear review of health records.