Are PFAS the New Asbestos?

If you’re shopping for a cookie sheet at Sam’s Club, you’ll wind up in the kitchen section where a tidy jungle of cookware items are displayed, row after row, saying “nonstick” on the wrap band. In 1950, nonstick cooking was the rage. If your great-grandmother is still around, she can tell you that Teflon was something of a revolution for women.

The Teflon story doesn’t have a happy ending, though, not that everybody has even gotten the memo yet. Many Americans haven’t heard of PFAS (pronounced PEE-fasz) yet. They’re microscopic chemical particles found in Teflon coating and firefighter foam (outlawed in some states because it blasts PFAS into the atmosphere).

PFAS are butting heads big-time with Mother Nature. They’re everywhere, they’re unavoidable, and practically indestructible, resisting decomposition for thousands of years – which is why they’re called “forever chemicals.”

Are PFAS this generation’s version of asbestos?

They can filter into anything that isn’t rock solid, living or inanimate, and refuse to die. Accumulation in living tissue raises the risk for a number of serious medical disorders, from thyroid issues to cancer to hormone upheaval.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that PFAS have polluted nearly half of America’s public water systems, including the Great Lakes (some Great Lakes have lower levels than others), plus an unknown number of private wells. They float in air, rain, and soil, so they wind up about everywhere.

The NIH (National Institutes of Health) says 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood.

Where Did PFAS Come From and Why?

A Dupont chemist named Dr. Roy J. Plunkett accidentally discovered Teflon on April 6, 1938. He was experimenting with Freon gas, a synthetic Dupont refrigerant, when he spotted something bizarre in the lab: a segment of compressed gas had frozen solid into a white waxy polymer (large molecules that repeat in a chain sequence). Chemists referred to it as PTFE – polytetrafluoroethylene – but we know it as Teflon.

By linking two strong chemicals – carbon and fluorine – that don’t naturally bond – man created these synthetic chemicals. Once carbon and fluorine molecules bond, they’re unbreakable. Teflon was found to be remarkably slippery, creating infinite surface applications – most notably a nonstick coating for cookware. It also repelled oil, dirt and stains on fabrics, water, and fire.

In 1945, DuPont de Nemours & Co. patented PTFE and registered it as “Teflon, the most slippery material in existence.” By 1948, the company was rolling out 2 million pounds a year, with competitor 3M close behind.

Are Forever Chemicals Invincible?

Yes, they’re practically indestructible. According to the NIH, the fluorine-carbon bond is one of the strongest in existence, resistant to heat, water, oil, dirt, and destruction.

“As a result, PFAS can last thousands of years and persist in water and soil indefinitely. They are also difficult to break down in treatment systems, such as incineration, reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and ion-exchange resins.”

– NBC, April 10, 2024.

The New York Times on May 28, 2024, reminded readers that PFAS are used

“for everyday items as varied as microwave popcorn bags, water-repellent clothing, and stain-resistant carpets, also microplastics and firefighting foam, cosmetics, shampoos, toys, and even dental floss.”

PFAS Are Here Today & Here Tomorrow.

Every single one of these nanoparticles, the first of which was released into the atmosphere in 1938 and mass-manufactured starting in 1945, is still with us today, used in thousands of end products over the years, and amassing to spoil Mother Nature’s natural order. PFAS spread easily on the breeze, especially in rain, drifting beyond any borders into our soil and water systems where they may end up in your tap water. Bottom line: the natural order has been breached by a googolplex (that’s 1 followed by 100 zeroes) of invisible pollutants that refuse to degrade.

What Can Be Done About PFAS Now?

Important question, since PFAS are already loose and they refuse to disintegrate for thousands of years. Here’s one answer: if you’ve been harmed by drinking water polluted with toxic PFAS, you may qualify to participate in the PFAS lawsuit. Reuters covered recent litigation in California on April 15, 2024:

“A new lawsuit filed by public drinking water systems in California against manufacturers of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ is among the first to cite new Biden administration regulations that set strict limits for the chemicals in drinking water.”

California isn’t alone. At the end of April 2024, 30 states had filed lawsuits against manufacturers who produce PFAS. The companies are charged with contaminating US water supplies and other natural resources.

New Landmark Legislation Can Help Regulate Safety Levels.

The Biden administration on April 10, 2024, issued the “first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard,” which the White House hopes will protect 100 million Americans from forever chemicals. Supporting Biden’s agenda, the EPA announced in March 2024 that it will invest $1 billion toward cleaning up America’s public water systems. In a statement, the EPA said:

“The EPA’s commitment is the most significant step to protect public health under the ‘EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap.’ The final rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses.”

An additional $12 billion is also available through the current administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make general improvements to drinking water, which include addressing pollutants like PFAS. Under the new regulation, public water utilities must consistently test their water for PFAS levels. Each facility has 3 years to finish testing/monitoring its water quality (by 2027) and if the new limit has been exceeded, another 2 years are allowed to overhaul the facilities (by 2029).

How Do PFAS Hurt Humans?

Here are some of the medical conditions that may develop if PFAS have accumulated in the bloodstream, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR):

This is Where A Case for Women Comes In.

A Case for Women has always considered its first priority to inform the public/you about potential hazards while they may still be avoided. If harm has already come to you or your family as a result of ingesting PFAS in drinking water, however, then our team is here to work closely with injured survivors who want to retain a powerful PFAS law firm working on contingency and join the PFAS lawsuit to seek financial compensation from the manufacturers who produced the toxins. We can help you get started and walk you through important first steps.

ACFW only works with lawyers who operate on a contingency basis, meaning there is no cost to get started. Contingency means you pay nothing unless you win something at the conclusion of your case. Your lawyers assume every expense to defend you.

For our services, we charge you nothing. Ever. Yet we remain accessible to you throughout your case to address any questions or confusion you have that you feel more comfortable discussing with us. We were founded in 2016 to help women and families access the civil court system.

If you’ve been hurt by exposure to PFAS in your drinking water and you need help, please contact us for guidance. We would like to help you.