In the News
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The agency relies on outdated research to explain why it’s ‘premature’ to regulate the toxic chemicals, despite pressure from consumer advocates and a major industry group.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.
EPA to ‘crowdsource’ new ways to destroy PFAS, local advocates say agency could be doing more (WECT | August 24, 2020)
The “Innovative Ways to Destroy PFAS Challenge” is a partnership between federal and state agencies seeking plans for non-thermal technologies that would safely destroy PFAS in aqueous film forming foam.
Chemours must keep PFAS from North Carolina river (c&en | August 17, 2020)
The state has ordered Chemours to prevent highly persistent fluorinated compounds from seeping from or washing off its factory site near Fayetteville, North Carolina.
NC Attorney General brings in national law firm for PFAS investigation (WRAL | August 12, 2020)
North Carolina has partnered with a national law firm with extensive experience in PFAS litigation, signaling a potentially significant expansion of the state’s legal efforts against companies that put PFAS into the air and water in North Carolina.
FDA Announces Voluntary Agreement with Manufacturers to Phase Out Certain Short-Chain PFAS Used in Food Packaging (FDA | July 31, 2020)
Manufacturers of certain PFAS used for grease-proofing in paper and paperboard for food packaging have voluntarily agreed to phase-out their sales of these substances for use in America.
Newer PFAS compound detected for first time in Arctic seawater (Phys | July 29, 2020)
Researchers reporting in Environmental Science & Technology have studied the transport of 29 PFAS into and out of the Arctic Ocean, detecting a newer compound for the first time in Arctic seawater.
Obesity, Infertility, and Low IQ Are Just Some of the Ways Household Chemicals Wreck Our Health (Gizmodo | July 22, 2020)
A new Lancet analysis finds a growing number of endocrine-disrupting household chemicals have been linked to widespread health problems, including infertility, diabetes, and impaired brain development.
Why limiting PFAS in drinking water is a challenge in the US (c&en | July 13, 2020)
The EPA faces legal and other hurdles as it attempts to regulate legacy PFAS chemicals PFOA and PFOS. The agency currently has a nonbinding advisory for these chemicals, but to set an enforceable limit it must pass through a complex set of further steps.
Boron nitride destroys PFAS ‘forever’ chemicals PFOA, GenX (Science Daily | July 7, 2020)
Chemical engineers have discovered a photocatalyst that can destroy 99% of the ‘forever’ chemical PFOA in laboratory tests on polluted water. Researchers showed the boron nitride catalyst also destroys GenX, a PFOA replacement that’s also an environmental problem.
PFAS chemical PFHxS targeted for restriction in the European Union (c&en | June 28, 2020)
The European Commission this year will consider a proposal to restrict the manufacture or sale of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, or substances that degrade into PFHxS.
N.C. State study finds PFAS throughout Yadkin-Pee Dee River food chain (NC Health News | June 26, 2020)
Researchers say the PFAS could threaten the ecosystem, human health and an imperiled fish called the robust redhorse.
Scientists Pin Blame for Some Coronavirus Deaths on Air Pollution, PFAS, and Other Chemicals (The Intercept | June 26, 2020)
Almost six months into the coronavirus pandemic, it’s already clear that environmental pollution is responsible for some portion of the hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 deaths around the world.
US moves to exempt companies from reporting harmful chemical releases (The Guardian | June 24, 2020)
The exemption allows companies to bypass an EPA law meant to address widespread contamination from perflourinated chemicals.
- EPA failed to monitor GenX chemical for eight years (The Fayetteville Observer | May 28, 2020)
- Bills Offer Options for PFAS Regulation (Coastal Review Online | May 20, 2020)
- PFAS restriction plan developing in EU (c&en | May 16, 2020)
- The toxic chemicals in our homes could increase Covid-19 threat (The Guardian | April 29, 2020)
- Incinerators may spread, not break down PFAS (c&en | April 27, 2020)
- Commonly used chemicals associated with miscarriage (Yale School of Medicine | April 23, 2020)
- Detailed Maps and Airborne Chemicals: How the PFAS Landscape Differs State-by-State (WXPR | March 26, 2020)
- Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ flow freely through this river — and now its fish (National Geographic | March 24, 2020)
- Pentagon cleanup of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ likely to last decades (The Hill | March 22, 2020)
- 3M Offers Researchers New Resources to Improve PFAS Testing (Bloomberg Law | March 19, 2020)
- Groups sue US military to stop PFAS incineration (C&EN | Feb 25, 2020)
- EPA Inches Toward PFAS Drinking Water Regulation (WAMC | Feb 24, 2020)
- High Levels of PFAS Affect Immune, Liver Functions in Cape Fear River Striped Bass (NC State News | Feb 7, 2020)
- New DEQ data show ‘staggering’ levels of PFAS in Cape Fear River basin (NC Health News | Feb 3, 2020)
- PFAS Contamination of Drinking Water Far More Prevalent Than Previously Reported (EWG | Jan 22, 2020)
- ‘Forever chemicals’ found in drinking water in dozens of cities (PBS News | Jan 22, 2020)
- Trump officials voice opposition to ‘forever chemical’ bill (The Hill | Jan 7, 2020)
- FDA Makes Available Results from Second Round of Testing for PFAS in Foods (FDA | Dec 20, 2019)
- Rainwater in parts of US contains high levels of PFAS chemical (The Guardian | Dec 17, 2019)
- North Carolina Scientists, Policymakers Take on PFAS (NIEHS Environmental Factor | Dec 2019)
- Raleigh Students Take on PFAS Pollution (NC Health News | Nov 21, 2019)
- How To Say Goodbye to PFAS (C&EN | Nov 20, 2019)
- The List of Military Sites with Suspected ‘Forever Chemicals’ Contamination has Grown (Military Times | Nov 20, 2019)
- Haw River Assembly to Sue Burlington Over Chemicals in Sewage (Times-News | Nov 9, 2019)
- Top Toxicologist Barred from Saying PFAS Causes Disease in Humans (The Intercept | Oct 24, 2019)
- NC State-led Study Shows Cape Fear River Had ‘Incredibly High’ Levels of Chemicals (N&O | Oct 10, 2019)
- Chemours Accused of Misleading Investors on PFAS Liabilities (Bloomberg Law | Oct 9, 2019)
- To Reduce PFAS Levels in Food, Cook at Home (Consumer Reports | Oct 9, 2019)
- New Analysis Indicates That Toxics Were Present in Wilmington Drinking Water at Extreme Levels (NC Policy Watch | Oct 9, 2019)
- Researchers Document Unregulated Chemicals in Pittsboro Water (WUNC | Sept 26, 2019)
- Concerns Grow Over Tainted Sewage Sludge Spread on Croplands (AP | Sept 12, 2019)
- Denmark Just Became the First Country to Ban PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ from Food Packaging (CNN | Sept 4, 2019)
- Short-chain and long-chain PFAS Show Similar Toxicity (C&EN | Aug 24, 2019)
- Despite A Massive Cleanup Effort, People Near Military Bases Still Can’t Drink Their Water (WUNC | Aug 13, 2019)
- Industry Cities 3M Research on Cancer Patients Exposed to PFOA Claim the Chemical Isn’t So Bad (The Intercept | Aug 12, 2019)
- The Known Unknowns (Endeavors | Aug 6, 2019)
- Regulators Concerned Bottled Water May Contain PFAS Contaminants (Consumer Reports | Aug 1, 2019)
- PFAS Shows Up in Haw River, But Gets Limited Local Attention (North Carolina Health News | July 30, 2019)
- PFAS Battles Spark Lobbying Boom (E&E News | July 24, 2019)
- How Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ Made Their Way into Your Food (The Hill | July 14, 2019)
- PFAS Sleuths Seek ‘Forever Chemical’ Fingerprints (Bloomberg Environment | July 7, 2019)
- ENC Health Currents: PFAS Testing Underway In ENC (Public Radio East | July 3, 2019)
- PFAS Levels Spike In Cape Fear Water (Coastal Review Online | June 21, 2019)
- Maysville Holds Meeting on PFAS in Well Water (Public Radio East | June 12, 2019)
- FDA: GenX, 14 Types of Perfluorinated Compounds Found in Produce Grown Within 10 Miles of Chemours (NC Policy Watch | June 3, 2019)
- DEQ finds 20 types of PFAS in compost headed for gardens, farms and playgrounds (NC Policy Watch | May 28, 2019)
- Toxic Chemical Contamination Detected in Charlotte (NC Policy Watch | May 17, 2019)
- Citizen Sleuths Exposed Pollution from a Century-Old Michigan Factory (Science | May 16, 2019)
- New Study Claims 43 States Expose Millions to Dangerous Chemical in Drinking Water (CBS News | May 7, 2019)
- Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS (NPR | April 22, 2019)
- Scientists Update Lawmakers on PFAS Research (NC Policy Watch | April 10, 2019)
- Researchers Find Toxic Chemicals in North Carolina Wildlife (Star News | April 9, 2019)
- Should You Be Concerned About PFAS Chemicals? (Consumer Reports | April 8, 2019)
- The hunt is on for GenX chemicals in people (C&EN | April 7, 2019)
- NC Legislature Considering PFAS Ban In Firefighting Foam (WHQR | April 4, 2019)
- PFAS Costs Europe More Than €50 Billion a Year in Health Problems (Quartz | March 19, 2019)
- Pentagon Pushes for Weaker Standards on Chemicals Contaminating Drinking Water (NY Times | March 14, 2019)
- US Government Investigating Food Supply for PFAS Contamination (C&EN | March 7, 2019)
- EPA Says It Plans to Limit Toxic PFAS Chemicals, But Not Soon Enough for Critics (NPR | Feb 14, 2019)
- Worrisome Nonstick Chemicals are Common in U.S. Drinking Water, Federal Study Suggests (Science | Feb 8, 2019)
- The Scientists Tracing Thousands of Fluorinated Chemicals in Our Environment (Nature | Feb 6, 2019)
- Not a Problem You Can Run Away From: Communities Confront the Threat of Unregulated Chemicals in Their Drinking Water (Washington Times | Jan 2, 2019)
- Exposure Study Released in Wilmington (WUNC | Nov 15, 2018)
- Draft EPA Study Finds Newer Nonstick Compound May Be Harmful (AP | Nov 14, 2018)
- Decades-Old Chemicals, New Angst Over Drinking Water (NPR | Oct 2, 2018)
- Pivotal Fall Ahead For GenX Research, Action (Coastal Review Online | Aug 24, 2018)
- Is GenX in the Water? NC Research Project Aims to Find Out (Star News Online | Aug 16, 2018)
- Researchers from Various NC Universities Banding Together to Understand GenX (WNCN | Aug 8, 2018)
- Are Toxic Chemicals in Our Drinking Water? Statewide Testing Should Let Us Know (N&O | Aug 6, 2018)