EPOC Enviro’s Post

🌎 New research reveals that PFAS could linger in contaminated groundwater for over 40 years, posing long-term challenges for water quality. Addressing “forever chemicals” requires dedicated, proactive solutions to protect our resources. #TPO #TPOMagazine #TreatmentPlant #TreatmentPlantOperator #PFAS #WaterQuality #EnvironmentalHealth https://loom.ly/nhoju48

Jen Christensen, reporting for CNN, says almost #half of the #tapwater in the United States is #contaminated with #chemicals known as “#foreverchemicals,” according to a study from the US Geological Survey. The number of people drinking #contaminatedwater may be even #higher than what the study found, however, because the researchers weren’t able to test for all of these per- and #polyfluorinatedalkyl substances, or #PFAS, chemicals that are considered dangerous to human health. There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, according to the The National Institutes of Health, but this study looked at only 32 of the compounds. See the map inside the article to learn which locations have the highest levels of PFAS found. https://lnkd.in/eiEBFX6P

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are rapidly emerging as some of the most important environmental contaminants to monitor around the world. Concerns about possible health risks are driving environmental scientists to look for these compounds everywhere. However, one other concerning place where at least some of these compounds are present is inside the very instruments used for PFAS analysis of environmental samples. Check our quick-hit video to learn how PFAS delay columns can be used to manage this type of contamination: https://lnkd.in/dk5a3QK

A new study has revealed there may be a significant underestimation of a specific type of PFAS ‘forever chemical’ in the environment. Researchers from found that branched perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was more prevalent than expected in firefighting foam, which has been linked to environmental and health issues, because they can take hundreds or even thousands of years to naturally break down. In a paper published in Water Research, the team led by Prof Denis O'Carroll, Prof Naresh Kumar, Prof Michael Manefield and Dr Matthew Lee, showed that concentrations of branched PFOA in firefighting foam would double after time in the environment. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g6tqqxqf UNSW | #PFAS #PFOA #ForeverChemical

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that up to 95 million Americans could be relying on groundwater containing detectable levels of #PFAS.🚰 > USGS scientists have provided the first national estimates of PFAS in untreated groundwater serving public and private wells. > This groundbreaking research also highlights the estimated number of individuals nationwide who could be impacted by groundwater contaminated with PFAS. (https://okt.to/sX6Ebf) 💡Looking for more insights on PFAS? Check out our free #whitepaper: 𝗣𝗙𝗔𝗦 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. ⬇️https://okt.to/TLXwu7 The new paper covers several PFAS hot topics - including the latest research on food contamination, testing methods, and likely legal and regulatory challenges for food firms. #PFAStesting #ForeverChemicals #ScienceForaSaferWorld

PFAS can be eliminated with desalinization plants, sustainably powered by resilient, small modular nuclear power plants! #PublicHealth #SMR #NuScale #PFAS #CleanWater #Global #Environment #WaterUtilities #Desalinization #drinkingWater #HumanRights #water • “PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time. Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment. PFAS are found in water, air, fish, and soil at locations across the nation and the globe. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products. This makes it challenging to study and assess the potential human health and environmental risks.”

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that up to 95 million Americans could be relying on groundwater containing detectable levels of #PFAS.🚰 > USGS scientists have provided the first national estimates of PFAS in untreated groundwater serving public and private wells. > This groundbreaking research also highlights the estimated number of individuals nationwide who could be impacted by groundwater contaminated with PFAS. (https://okt.to/hVcjxo) 💡Looking for more insights on PFAS? Check out our free #whitepaper: 𝗣𝗙𝗔𝗦 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. ⬇️https://okt.to/VHZCAL The new paper covers several PFAS hot topics - including the latest research on food contamination, testing methods, and likely legal and regulatory challenges for food firms. #PFAStesting #ForeverChemicals #ScienceForaSaferWorld

Great new review article out in Nature Geoscience on PFAS in the environment and in consumer products (https://lnkd.in/giH23cVp). My main takeaway: PFAS is a big category of chemicals, so current standard methods measuring 40 specific compounds underestimate both total PFAS mass and potential, future mass of regulated PFAS after environmental transformations occur. For those of you following the #pfasfree topic on PFAS in consumer goods, the chart below summarizes previous articles' data on PFAS in consumer and industrial products.

Toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” are ubiquitous in the Great Lakes basin’s air, rain, atmosphere and water, a new paper co-authored by IPE-affiliated faculty member, Dr. Marta Venier, shows. The basin holds about 95% of the United States' freshwater. The first-of-its-kind, comprehensive picture of PFAS levels for the basin also reveals that precipitation is probably a major contributor to the lakes’ contamination. This research is part of a growing body of evidence showing how the chemicals move through the atmosphere and water. Read more, including how urban and remote areas along the lakes fare, in The Guardian: https://lnkd.in/gC_SJUKr

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that up to 95 million Americans could be relying on groundwater containing detectable levels of #PFAS.🚰 > USGS scientists have provided the first national estimates of PFAS in untreated groundwater serving public and private wells. > This groundbreaking research also highlights the estimated number of individuals nationwide who could be impacted by groundwater contaminated with PFAS. (https://okt.to/jEuH7N) 💡Looking for more insights on PFAS? Check out our free #whitepaper: 𝗣𝗙𝗔𝗦 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. ⬇️https://okt.to/4Ar1Lq The new paper covers several PFAS hot topics - including the latest research on food contamination, testing methods, and likely legal and regulatory challenges for food firms. #PFAStesting #ForeverChemicals #ScienceForaSaferWorld