Document LJxr3MEJOvg9JnXJ5knwaq6B3

Global Perspectives on Reducing Harm from PFAS Green Science Policy Institute & Biology, University of California, Berkeley 24 March 2022 Scientific Research Convene busness, govenrment, NGO, academic scientists Communicate Government Policy & Business Purchasing Change 2 GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE www.GreenSciencePolicy.org 3 GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE www.GreenSciencePolicy.org 4 Six Classes Videos www.SixClasses.org Healthier products, healthier people in four minutes! 5 Class 1 PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) PFOA (C8) PFOS (C8) Carbon-Fluorine bond strength: Leads to oil and water repellency "Forever chemicals" -- last for geologic time! GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE www.GreenSciencePolicy.org Courtesy: 6 7 PFAS exposure is a health concern Detectable serum PFASs Non-detect Exposure linked to health risks: Cancer, elevated cholesterol, obesity, immune suppression, and endocrine disruption Courtesy, Harvard University (Ref: Lewis et al., 2015; Grandjean et al., 2012; Braun et al., 2016; Barry et al., 2013) 8 PFAS: Multi-System Toxicants GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE www.GreenSciencePolicy.org Courtesy, Modified from ATSDR, 2018 9 2015 Madrid Statement on Highly Fluorinated Chemicals flickr @ Marc "We call on the international community to cooperate in limiting the production and use of PFAS and in developing safer non-fluorinated alternatives." Signed by 230 scientists from 40 countries 2015: Environmental Health Perspectives 10 2015-16 11 Watch Dark Waters film The story of attorney Rob Bilott, who uncovered massive PFOA contamination from a DuPont factory in WV 12 EPA Lifetime Health Advisory Level: 70 ng/L PFOA + PFOS GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE www.GreenSciencePolicy.org From Cindy Hu et al, ES&T Letters, 2016 13 "Regrettable" Substitution? Long chain: Extreme persistence Bioaccumulation Toxicity GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE www.GreenSciencePolicy.org ShortDcehcaabironm: odiphenyl ethane Extreme persistence Less bioaccumulation in humans Build-up in plants Suspected toxicity More mobile Clean up more difficult Harder to measure & monitor 14 Persistent & potentially toxic Not enough time to study them all Short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBjQYUjEUb4 Last Week Tonight https://youtu.be/9W74aeuqsiU DOI: (10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00255) 15 The Netherlands Chemours fluoropolymer production plant in Dordrech Surface water, groundwater, & vegetation conc. exceeded health risk limits for PFOA & GenX PFOA blood conc. exceeded safety levels 750,000 people affected The Netherlands supports restricting PFAS in products GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE GreenSciencePolicy.org 16 Gebbink et al. 2020 16 Belgium 3M fluorochemical plant in Antwerp Advisory against consuming local vegetables & eggs in the Flemish Region, population 6.5 million PFOS and PFOA blood conc. exceeded safe levels in 77% of 201 adults tested Some of the highest reported PFOS levels in wildlife Flemish regional government ordered 3M to halt production of PFAS GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE GreenSciencePolicy.org 17 17 Italy Miteni Ltd. a manufacturer of PFAS Waste buried and wastewater released without pretreatment PFAS contamination of drinking and irrigation water 350,000 people affected Over EUR 6 million spent by the government on drinking water treatment & health surveillance A government lawsuit GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE GreenSciencePolicy.org 18 Bertanza et al. 2020 18 China One of the largest manufacturers and consumers of PFAS in the world Drinking water in many cities in China exceeds 20 ng/L Nearly 100 million people affected PFOA conc. are much higher in cities where fluoropolymers such as PTFE are produced GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE GreenSciencePolicy.org 19 Liu et al. 2021 19 Australia PFAS contamination near defense bases AU$55 million for safe drinking water AU$212 million spent by the federal government on class action settlements Most Australian fire brigades & airports transitioned to PFAS-free foam GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE GreenSciencePolicy.org https://defence.gov.au/Environment/PFAS/ 20 20 Michigan -- USA Wolverine treated leather with Scotchguard (PFOS) Leather scrap dumped Sludge applied to fields PFOA + PFOS up to 58,000 ppt 842 times US EPA health advisory level! Wolverine pays Michigan $69.5 million 3M pays Wolverine $55 million GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE GreenSciencePolicy.org 21 21 Water Treatment Costs: North Carolina Chemours Cape Fear Public Utility Authority activated carbon filtration plant: -$46M to build -$2.7M to operate each year Brunswick County: reverse osmosis filtration for 25,000 customers: -$99M to build -$2.9M to operate Wilmington Star News, May 9th and 10th, 2018 22 PFAS are Problematic & Difficult to Clean Up Prevention is Preferable! 23 Keen's PFAS-Free Journey PFAS found to 101 places in Keen shoes 7o place PFAS were not necessary and removed Years of work to find replacements for other 31 Success! 24 25 26 Food Packaging: Policy & Regulation Bans: - 2018 - Washington state - 2019 - Maine - 2020 - San Francisco - 2020 - US Congress: no PFAS in military meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE www.GreenSciencePolicy.org 27 2019 Denmark bans all PFAS in paper food packaging "I do not want to accept the risk of harmful [PFAS] migrating from the packaging and into our food. " - Danish Food Minister https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/04/health/denmark-pfas-food-packaging-ban-intl/index.html 28 PFAS and Carpet PFAS-treated carpet linked to high PFAS blood levels 29 Major manufacturers phase out PFAS from carpets & rugs by January 1, 2020 Yes F No F Low F Michigan Radio, September, 2019 30 Fluorinated compounds in North American cosmetics 31 32 PFAS in Products Worldwide Phase-outs Proposal from Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark to phase out PFAS in Europe by 2025 Canada is working to address a broad class of PFAS US federal government commits not to purchase certain products containing PFAS By 2030, Maine will ban all PFAS uses unless "currently unavoidable" Proposed legislation for phase out and/or labeling of PFAS in products in six other US states 33 34 35 Learn More: GreenSciencePolicy.org PFASCentral.org SixClasses.org Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter