Risky Business? Manufacturer and Retailer Action to Remove Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemicals From Consumer Products

Passive biomonitoring for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances using invasive clams, C. fluminea

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of toxic manufactured chemicals in commercial and consumer products. They are resistant to environmental degradation and mobile in soil, air, and water. This study used the introduced bivalve Corbicula fluminea as a passive biomonitor at sampling locations in a primary drinking water source in Virginia, USA. Many potential PFAS sources were identified in the region. Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS) levels were highest downstream of an airport. The highest levels of short-chain carboxylic acids were in locations downstream of a wastewater treatment plant. Measured PFAS concentrations varied by location in C. fluminea, sediment, and surface water samples. Two compounds were detected across all three mediums. Calculated partitioning coefficients confirm bioaccumulation of PFAS in C. fluminea and sorption to sediment. C. fluminea bioaccumulated two PFAS not found in the other mediums. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and short-chain compounds dominated in clam tissue, which contrasts with findings of accumulation of longer-chain and perfluorosulfonic acids in fish. These findings suggest the potential for using bivalves to complement other organisms to better understand the bioaccumulation of PFAS and their fate and transport in a freshwater ecosystem.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure through munitions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Considered contaminants of emerging concern, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of toxic, manufactured chemicals found in commercial and consumer products such as nonstick cookware, food packaging, and firefighting foams. Human exposure to PFAS through inhalation and ingestion can cause a variety of harmful effects and negative health outcomes. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances possess high polarity and chemical stability, enabling them to resist degradation in most environmental conditions. These characteristics allow PFAS to be mobile in soil, air, and water, and bioaccumulate in living organisms. Due to their thermally resistant chemical properties, PFAS are used as binders in polymer-bonded explosives (PBX) and in various components of munitions. Thus, when munitions are detonated, PFAS are released into the environment as aerosols and can deposit in the soil, surface water, or biota. Air emission modeling suggests that ground-level and airborne detonation of munitions can increase PFAS deposition both locally and long range. Further, if industrial facilities with PFAS are damaged or destroyed, there is greater potential for environmental degradation from increased release of PFAS into the environment. As a consequence of their persistent nature, PFAS can remain in an environment long after armed conflict, indirectly affecting ecosystems, food sources, and human health. The toxic contamination from munitions could present a greater hazard to a larger population over time than acute detonation events. This article discusses methods for estimating war-related damage from PFAS by exploring predictive modeling approaches and postwar ground validation techniques. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:376-381. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Cellular Interactions and Fatty Acid Transporter CD36-Mediated Uptake of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS)

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of widely used compounds in an array of commercial and industrial applications. Due to their extensive use and chemical stability, PFAS persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife. PFAS exposure have been linked to several negative health effects, including the formation of various cancers, disruption of the endocrine system, and obesity. However, there is a major gap in understanding how structural differences in PFAS impact their interactions within a biological system. In this study, we examined the toxicity of PFAS with differences in chain length, head group, and degree of fluorination in human retinal epithelial cells. We focused on fluorotelomeric and fully fluorinated sulfonates and carboxylates and measured their uptake. Our results showed that sulfonates are taken up at higher levels as compared to their fluorotelomer and carboxylate counterparts. Furthermore, PFAS with 8 and 10 carbons (C8 and C10) are taken up at a higher level compared to those with six carbons (C6). We also investigated the role of the fatty acid transporter CD36 in PFAS uptake and found that increased CD36 levels result in higher levels of PFAS in cells. Overall, our results suggest that the head group structure of PFAS impacts toxicity, with sulfonates inducing a higher decrease in cell viability (∼50%) than carboxylates. Our results also link the activity of CD36 to PFAS uptake into cells.

Mobilizing motherhood: The gendered burden of environmental protection

Maternalist framing has been a consistent part of a long history of powerful, often successful organizing for environmental protection and justice. Yet today's calls on individuals to simultaneously engage in proenvironmental behavior and to protect themselves from environmental threats through consumption have mobilized maternal discourse in a way that is likely demobilizing in the long run. Indeed, the increasing individualization of the environmental movement is intersecting with persistent, unequal gendered structures of labor in a way that places the burden of environmentalism and environmental risk management on women and mothers. I argue that precautionary consumption and other forms of individualized environmental risk management add to the "third shift," on top of the disproportionate burden of household labor and care work that women already face. This phenomenon is concerning because it has the potential to (1) limit women's engagement in other forms of environmental advocacy and leadership, and to (2) reproduce existing gender inequalities not only between men and women but also among women of different levels of race and class privilege. Thus, the increasing individualization of the environmental movement also potentially exacerbates environmental injustice at the household level. Despite such emerging concerns, the domestic scale remains an often overlooked site of environmental harm and gendered burden.

Temporal Trends of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Delaware River Fish, USA

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are found in a variety of industrial and household products. Human and wildlife exposure to PFAS is widespread. Increasing evidence suggests adverse effects of PFAS to human health and the environment. Human health risks from exposure through drinking water and fish consumption are areas of concern. Therefore, understanding occurrence and exposure risk is important to protect water resources. PFAS was investigated in fish fillet from the Delaware River over a 15-y period (2004-2018). The sample period coincided with actions to reduce or eliminate the release of certain PFAS to the environment. Elevated levels of perfluorononanoate (PFNA) and perfluoroundecanoate (PFUnA) were initially observed in tidal fish fillet. While significant decreases in PFNA and PFUnA concentrations were observed in fish fillet from the tidal river during the timeframe of the study, changes in concentrations of other PFAS in tidal and nontidal fish were less substantial. In 2018, fish fillet continued to be contaminated with perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) at levels exceeding recommended regional risk advisory limits on fish consumption. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:411-421. © 2020 SETAC.

Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class

This commentary presents a scientific basis for managing as one chemical class the thousands of chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The class includes perfluoroalkyl acids, perfluoroalkylether acids, and their precursors; fluoropolymers and perfluoropolyethers; and other PFAS. The basis for the class approach is presented in relation to their physicochemical, environmental, and toxicological properties. Specifically, the high persistence, accumulation potential, and/or hazards (known and potential) of PFAS studied to date warrant treating all PFAS as a single class. Examples are provided of how some PFAS are being regulated and how some businesses are avoiding all PFAS in their products and purchasing decisions. We conclude with options for how governments and industry can apply the class-based approach, emphasizing the importance of eliminating non-essential uses of PFAS, and further developing safer alternatives and methods to remove existing PFAS from the environment.