PFAS AKA "Forever Chemicals"

By Karen Lewotsky, OEC Water Program Director & Rural Partnerships Lead

Editor's Note: When we first wrote about PFAS in 2020 they were still relatively new in the public consciousness. We knew that these forever chemicals existed, but the extent of their presence - and potential for harm - was still unclear. At the time, we surveyed several groups in the Portland area about their top water-related toxics concerns, and PFAS wasn't on many people's radar. Today, the full scope of PFAS has come frighteningly into focus. While these chemicals have become increasingly widespread over the years, action is finally being taken to reign them in. This post has been updated to reflect the state of PFAS in 2024, and what the future could hold.
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You've been hearing a lot lately about forever chemicals - in water, in food, in so many things we use in our day-to-day lives. Well, what is a "forever chemical" anyhow?

Forever chemicals are synthetic (man-made) chemicals that do not break down in the environment. This has earned them the name "forever chemicals." Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS, are a class of forever chemicals, along with others like PCBs, PBDEs and PFSs. Over time, PFAS build up in all sorts of places, including our bodies, our blood and organs. Why is this a problem? It turns out that these forever chemicals harm our health, and our environment. Research showsPFAS can lead to reproductive problems and developmental delays in children. PFAS can also negatively impact the immune system, cardiovascular system, cholesterol levels and cause cancer.

Unfortunately, PFAS are so pervasive they can be found nearly everywhere - in our air, water and soil. Recent studies show more than 97%of Americans have "detectable levels" of PFAS in their blood. Across the nation concentrations of PFAS rangefrom high levels in states like Michigan and North Carolina to low levels here in Oregon.

Below is a detailed primer on how PFAS enter our environment, their negative health impacts and how we're working to address these issues in Oregon.

What are PFAS and where do they come from?

PFAS, PFOA and PFOS are trade names for nonstick and water resistant coatings that lurk in thousands of consumer products ranging from food wrappers, nonstick pans, stain and water-repellent fabrics and waterproof mascara, to firefighting foamused to put out fires at airports, military bases and in our neighborhoods.

Because they are used for so many things, these man-made chemicals enter our environment in a number of ways. PFAS can enter our water from firefighting foam,industrial discharges, stormwater runoff, municipal wastewater discharges and landfill leachate. They end up in the air we breathe when incinerators burn our waste and garbage. .

How do PFAS affect our health and the environment?

Because they do not break down naturally, PFAS chemicals accumulate in our bodies, rivers, lakes, and soil - building up over time.

Studieshave linked exposure to high levels of PFAS chemicals with:

• Negative effects on growth, learning and behavior in infants and children
• Difficulty getting pregnant and lower infant birth weights
• Weakened immune systemand decreased vaccine response
• Weight gainand increased cholesterol levels
• Kidney cancer and testicular cancer
• Hormone and thyroid disruptions

PFAS also harm wildlife and aquatic life. Washington State passed sweeping legislation in 2019 to ban PFAS in consumer products, food packaging and firefighting foam - in part due to their impact on resident orcas. Testing of Michigan wildlife also led the state to issue warnings to not eat deer or fishfrom certain areas.

Chemical manufacturers have known about the harmful effects of PFAS for people and the environmentsince the 1970s and covered up evidence for decades. Since then, the chemical class has exploded to more than 14,000 individual chemicals.

PFAS can be found in species spanning the globe, from the United States to Antarctica.

Where do we find PFAS in Oregon?

Current rates of PFAS are much lower in Oregonthan in many other states.

In 2017, PFAS-contaminated groundwater was found at 10 Oregon military sites, and near Portland Water Bureau's Columbia South Shore Well Field in NE Portlandand in 2019 in Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls- all sites where firefighting foam has been used frequently. Additionally, six industrial sitesin Portland and Klamath Falls have been identified as potential sources of PFAS in Oregon.

Drinking water is one of the most common routes of exposure to PFAS, and is a priority for Oregon officials. Earlier this month, the EPA released a set of data for testing public water systems for PFAS. Using these metrics, PFAS have been identified in six drinking water systems in Oregonincluding: Hermiston, Dundee, Molalla, Independence, Marcola and Bend.

New research across the country reveals widespread contamination of water systems, soil and air. PFAS are even showing up in rainwater in concentrations that "greatly exceed" safety levels.

How to limit your exposure to PFAS?

It can be challenging to avoid chemicals that show up in so many parts of our lives, but there are ways you can limit your exposure:

• Install water filters that remove PFAS from drinking waterif it's known that your water is contaminated.
• Use stainless steel and cast iron cookware instead of Teflon.
• Replace old or flaking nonstick cookware.
• Check advisories for local fish, wildlife, meat, and dairy if consuming locally-sourced food.
• Skip optional stain-repellant treatment on carpets and furniture.
• Research your beauty and personal-care products. The Environmental Working Group has a databaseof 100,000+ cosmetics productsand the dangerous chemicals in them.

Regulating PFAS at the national level

The EPA was first alertedto the problem of PFAS in drinking water in 2001. It wasn't until early 2021 that the agency began to take bold action. The EPA significantly expanded its data collection around PFAS. It also drafted rules designating PFAS and PFOS as hazardous substances.

From there, the EPA required that 29 PFAS be monitored in drinking water nationwide. In 2022, with the data in hand, the EPA added five PFAS to a list of Contaminated Site Cleanup Tables, and moved to further study PFAS coming from landfills and textile manufacturers.

Just this year, the EPA began regulating PFAS. This historic step established the nation's first-ever legally enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS - specifically regulating six types of PFAS chemicals in order to protect communities from exposure to harmful PFAS.

In another first this year, the FDA announced the removal of PFASfor use as a grease-proofing substance on paper-based food-packaging here in the U.S. Even so, problems with PFAS use in food packaging still exist.

The estimated cost for cleanup of about 50 contaminated military sites has soared to $31 billion- up from initial Department of Defense (DOD) estimates of $2 billionin 2019. For its 2025 budget, the Pentagon has requested $1.6 billion for PFAS cleanup. Previously, the DOD spent more than $219,000 on environmental investigations in Klamath Falls and Portland International Airport.

Regulating PFAS in Oregon

In the twenty years the EPA and DOD took little action on PFAS, Oregon passed laws to begin to address these chemicals:

• SB 737 (PFAS Testing, passed 2007): Passage of this law required DEQ to conduct one-time testing of Oregon's major wastewater treatment plants for persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals, including 5 PFAS chemicals. If tests exceeded certain levels, a pollution prevention plan was required as part of the treatment plant's NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
• SB 478 (Toxic Free Kids Act, passed 2015):This law established high priority chemicals of concern for children's products and requires manufacturers to report these chemicals to the Oregon Health Authority. The law will eventually require a phase-out of certain products. PFOS is amongst the list of high priority chemicals, but PFAS as a class, is not.
• House Bill 3043 (Toxic Free Kids Modernization Act, passed 2023) :Building on the success of Oregon's groundbreaking 2015 Toxic Free Kids Act, this law strengthens protections for children's health and streamlines business reporting requirements. The updated rule gives OHA the authority to regulate classes of chemicals without a mandate, and removes the limit on the number of chemicals that can be regulated. The new reporting requirements include brand names and models to make it easier for consumers to make informed buying decisions.
• Senate Bill 543 (PFAS Foodware Ban, passed 2023): In another major win for Oregon consumers, this law phases out polystyrene foam foodware (sometimes called "styrofoam"), packing peanuts, and coolers. It prohibits the use of PFAS in food packaging starting January 1, 2025. The state also passed Senate Bill 545 to help businesses and restaurants provide reusable container options. Phasing out PFAS in foodware is a common-sense way to protect the health of Oregonians.

More recently, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Health Authority (DEQ and OHA) have started tracking information from other states and evaluating the proposed federal actions to determine how they may support Oregon's needs. Both agencies are also evaluating PFAS toxicity screening values and environmental management approaches that may be appropriate for Oregon. In addition, DEQ, in coordination with other agencies and other states, is also pursuing pollution prevention opportunities that do not require regulatory authority. More information about PFAS in Oregon can be found at DEQ's website.

Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies(ACWA) serves Oregon wastewater treatment and stormwater management utilities These utilities protect public health and the environment by cleaning our wastewater as well as runoff from our cities and roads. The ACWA PFAS Workgroup collaborates with DEQ, drinking water providers and other local government partners. The group provides sampling guidance and informational resources on PFAS in wastewater and biosolids.

Next steps

As advocates for strong environmental health policy, OEC played a key rolein passing both of Oergon's Toxic Free Kids Acts as well as helping to pass our state's ban on polystyrene foam foodware. OEC sees several ways our policymakers can work to further address these forever chemicals:

• Oregon's Congressional delegation must advocatefor the designation of this harmful class of chemicals as a "hazardous substance" under CERCLA, the federal Superfund law.
• The Oregon legislature should commit funding to DEQ and OHA for PFAS monitoring of drinking water systems, priority mapping of contamination areas, and overseeing cleanup efforts.
• Similar to recent federal agency requirements, all of Oregon's state agencies should commit to banning or reducing the procurement of PFAS products in state purchasing and procurement contracts.
• The Oregon legislature should adopt PFAS-related legislation, such as phasing out PFAS-based firefighting foam in training activities.

You can help us continue to push for policies to regulate PFAS and stronger protections from these harmful forever chemicals in Oregon. Sign up for OEC's Grassroots Action Networkto stay on top of the latest PFAS actions and other opportunities to tell lawmakers you care about Oregon's health and environment.

OEC's initial outreach and blogs series on PFAS and Toxics in Water were generously funded by the Doll Family Foundation.