Posted: July 10, 2023
PFAS : What are these “forever chemicals”?
Whether you have heard of them before or not, PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are almost everywhere, including your water. Over several decades, there has been increasing concern about the impact of these chemicals on both human health and the broader ecosystem.
PFAS have caused significant concern over several decades due to their widespread presence in the environment and potential adverse impacts on ecosystems and human health. Increased scrutiny on the effects of these chemicals in the last couple of years has prompted many advocacy groups to push for greater policing and monitoring of these substances. Governments are beginning to address these concerns through policy and regulation. The Government of Canada is now seeking comments on these “forever chemicals.”
What are PFAS?
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of synthetic chemicals that are used in a variety of products including lubricants, cosmetics, surfactants, firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, food packaging materials, and textiles such as carpets, furniture, and clothing. This grouping comprises more than 4700 individual chemicals that share similar structures and properties.
PFAS are present almost everywhere in the environment, including the air, oceans, soils, surface and groundwater, rain, wastewater treatment plants, landfill leachate, sewage sludge, and polluted sites. They do not naturally break down in the environment, earning them the moniker “forever chemicals.” They can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources as well as bioaccumulate in fish and other wildlife.
What are the health effects of PFAS?
PFAS have been proven to have significant negative health effects on a variety of organisms, ranging from aquatic life to wildlife and plants. Exposure to PFAS has been associated with developmental abnormalities, reduced reproductive success, increased risk of cancer, and impaired immune function in aquatic species as well as in terrestrial wildlife, including humans. PFAS bioaccumulate which results in higher concentrations of PFAS in species that are higher up their food chain.
Why are PFAS so prevalent in the environment?
PFAS have a significant presence in the environment due to their extreme persistence and their potential for bioaccumulation. It is expected that PFAS will remain in the environment and within certain biota for decades since they do not degrade easily in nature. As a result, persistent compounds like PFAS, are more likely to come into contact with a lot of the ecosystem, leading to greater contamination.
Additionally, since they do not naturally occur in the environment, they are more likely to cause harm given that organisms may not have evolved specific mechanisms for mitigating the impacts of being exposed to PFAS.
How do PFAS get into drinking water?
PFAS can contaminate drinking water when products containing them are used or spread onto the ground or into lakes and rivers. When products or materials containing PFAS are spread onto the ground not only do they contaminate the soils, but PFAS can leach into groundwater or be transported to rivers and lakes through overland flow after rainfall events, contaminating drinking water sources. Their concentrations in freshwater and drinking water may be higher near wastewater treatment plant areas and industries that use large amounts of chemicals containing PFAS.
What are governments doing to reduce PFAS?
The Government of Canada has recognized that PFAS can be a threat to health and the environment. They are currently in the process of collecting comments that will be considered when developing the final PFAS report and risk management approach. Ottawa Riverkeeper has prepared official comments as part of this process, and we invite you to add your name in support here.
Unlike Canada, the United States has been more actively involved in addressing PFAS contamination. In October 2021, the U.S. announced a government-wide approach to address current and future PFAS contamination, which included the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) PFAS Strategic Roadmap. This year, the EPA has proposed a significant new use rule that would reinforce the regulation of PFAS by preventing anyone from resuming the use of inactive PFAS without EPA review. In addition , the U.S. is also issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking reaching out to the public for input regarding potential future designations of PFAS.
How is Ottawa Riverkeeper involved?
Ottawa Riverkeeper is concerned about PFAS and their impacts on the watershed, both for human health and ecosystem health. Our fellow Waterkeeper groups around the world, and especially in the U.S., have been actively monitoring the prevalence of PFAS in waterways. The Waterkeeper Alliance urged the EPA to include recommendations outlined in its new analysis on the prevalence of PFAS in American waterways.
Now, the Government of Canada has opened a public consultation on PFAS. Ottawa Riverkeeper is preparing to voice our concerns. Alongside other environmental organisations, we are submitting recommendations as part of the official process. We are inviting our community to sign on to our comments as part of the global movement to restrict “forever chemicals”.
Additionally, this week we are collaborating with Environmental Defence on a webinar, to spread more information ahead of the submission deadlines so that the public is aware of this threat and ready to take action.
Presenters will discuss and answer questions about the current status of PFAS in Canada, how policy might be shifting, and what you can do.
What can you do?
If you haven’t added your name to our official comments yet, you can do so here!
Plus, below are some actions that can contribute to minimising PFAS exposure and contamination:
- Limit the use of products that contain PFAS: Check for products labels and avoid products that contain materials like Teflon, Gore-Tex, or Scotchguard as these often contain PFAS.
- Follow regulations and guidelines for hazardous waste disposal in order to prevent perfluorinated substances from entering the environment.
- If you are concerned about PFAS in your drinking water, you can get your water tested by contacting your local water utility or your health department. The water can be treated with a system or treatment unit certified by NSF International standards.
Thank you for the info. I have known about these chemicals in certain plastics as well as cook ware but not how wide spread of usage in different products . I have bought gortex products in the past and will change my buying habits.
Yes, thank you for your information. What is your position regarding synthetic turf for sports fields as being a source of PFAS? I don’t see any mention of them in any of the Canadian government documents for the consultation. PFAS in synthetic turf must leach into the ground water and contaminate our drinking water as well.
Hello Deanne, we’re glad to provide this information. There are thousands of chemicals that fall under the PFAS umbrella, which makes it very challenging to have positions for each one, and also each source for each one. This is part of why we advocate for the listing of all PFAS as a class of toxic chemicals under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), which would create the need to phase out these substances wherever they are found.