Which US states ban PFAS?
| Category | Class B Firefighting foam – discharge or use for training or testing purposes | Food Packaging – distribution, sale or offer for sale |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. State | Effective date | Effective date |
| Arizona | Jan. 1,2020 | |
| Arkansas | Jan. 1, 2022 | |
| California | Jan 1, 2023 |
For example, for PFAS substances in drinking water, the smallest concentration is 5.1 ppt (California; PFOA only) and one of the largest values is 140,000 ppt (Michigan; PFHxA only).
On October 5, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1200 into law. This bill bans all plant fiber-based food packaging containing PFASs that are either intentionally added or present at levels exceeding 100 parts per million total organic fluorine, beginning January 1, 2023.
PFAS are not currently regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and EPA has not established an enforceable maximum contaminant level (MCL) for any of these substances.
California, Colorado and Maryland passed similar restrictions on cosmetics that go into effect in 2025. Other proposals are under consideration in Washington and Oregon while bills have also been introduced in Illinois, Rhode Island and Georgia.
The New York state legislature has passed a bill (S. 1322/A. 994) to modify previous legislation that largely bans per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) in clothing and apparel by 2025 that was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in the final hours of 2022.
Some of the highest PFAS levels detected were in samples from major metropolitan areas, including Miami, Philadelphia, New Orleans and the northern New Jersey suburbs of New York City.
One report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans.
Common water pitcher brands like Brita and Pur are perfectly fine if you want to reduce bad-tasting chlorine and contaminants like heavy metals. But they weren't designed to remove PFAS or even reduce their concentration in your tap water.
Military bases, firefighter training facilities, and airports are among the largest contributors to PFAS pollution in Florida due to the use of fire suppressant foam produced with PFAS.
What restaurants use PFAS chemicals?
We'll help you unravel its mysteries. Eight restaurants, including those that tout a healthier menu—Chick-fil-A, Arby's, Burger King, McDonald's, Nathan's Famous, Taco Bell, Sweetgreen, and Cava—“had at least one type of packaging,” that contained PFAS.
Although PFOA and PFOS are no longer manufactured in the United States, they are still produced internationally and can be imported into the United States in consumer goods such as carpet, leather and apparel, textiles, paper and packaging, coatings, rubber and plastics.
On May 27, 2021, Nevada Governor Sisolak signed amendments to Assembly Bill, AB97, restricting the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and organohalogen flame retardants (OFRs) in a variety of consumer products.
Since the 1960s, the FDA has authorized specific PFAS for use in specific food contact applications. Some PFAS are used in cookware, food packaging, and in food processing for their non-stick and grease, oil, and water-resistant properties.
Children. Because children are still developing, they may be more sensitive to the harmful effects of chemicals such as PFAS. They can also be exposed more than adults because: Children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults, which can increase their exposure to PFAS.
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two types of PFAS that are no longer manufactured or imported into the United States [2]; however, there could be some imported goods containing trace amounts of these substances[3].
- Check product labels for ingredients that include the words "fluoro" or "perfluoro."
- Be aware of packaging for foods that contain grease-repellent coatings. ...
- Avoid stain-resistance treatments. ...
- Avoid or reduce use of non-stick cookware.
Does Chick-fil-A's packaging contain PFAS? Chick-fil-A is working to eliminate intentionally added PFAS from all newly produced packaging going forward in our supply chain. Products with oil and grease resistant coatings containing PFAS are expected to be phased out by the end of summer of 2022.
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- An analysis done by a team of data journalists at ABC found that New Jersey is the top two state in the country for contamination of its drinking water with man-made chemicals known as PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
In 2020, Massachusetts set a limit on the amount of PFAS in public drinking water. The state limit is one of the strictest in the country: 20 parts per trillion for the sum of six PFAS chemicals. That's like a drop of water in a swimming pool.
What bottled water has the most PFAS in it?
- Topo Chico PFAS (9.76 ppt)
- Polar Natural Seltzer Water PFAS (6.41 ppt)
- Bubly Sparkling Water PFAS (2.24 ppt)
- Poland Spring Sparkling Water PFAS (1.66 ppt)
- Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water PFAS (1.24 ppt)
- LaCroix Natural Sparkling Water PFAS (1.16 ppt)
Does bottled water contain PFAS? PFAS have been found in some brands of bottled water. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not put enforceable limits in place yet.
| Bottler | Brand | Total PFAS (ppt) |
|---|---|---|
| Pathwater | Purified Water | Low Levels |
| Penta | Ultra Pure Water | Low Levels |
| Saratoga | Natural Spring Water | Low Levels |
| Smartwater | Natural Enhanced Water | Low Levels |
Currently, there are no definitive medical procedures that can clear PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from the body, according to the Secretary of the United States Navy. However, the best step you can take is to remove the source of the exposure from your environment.
A blood test for PFAS can tell you what your levels are at the time the blood was drawn, but not whether levels in your body are “safe” or “unsafe.” Most people in the U.S. have measurable amounts of PFAS in their body because PFAS chemicals are commonly used in commercial and industrial products.
Filters containing activated carbon or reverse osmosis membranes have been shown to be effective at removing PFAS from water supplies. All water treatment units require regular maintenance to work properly.
Distillation is a highly effective method of removing PFAS from water. On average, distilled water is free from around 99% PFAS. PFAS have a higher boiling point than water, which means they're left behind in the distillation chamber when water evaporates.
No. Refrigerator water filters cannot remove PFAS in your water. However, they are effective at eliminating chlorine, tastes, and odors. Fridge water filters use activated carbon to remove contaminants, and because they are not meant to eliminate PFAS, they do it partially.
Three EPA certified laboratories have provided information on test kits available to homeowners to test for PFAS in drinking water using EPA Method 537.
The study examined over 500 fish samples and 44 different species gathered by the Environmental Protection Agency between 2013 and 2015 across the U.S. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and channel catfish tended to have some of the higher levels of PFAS.
Is PFAS in plastic bottles?
Research from the University of Notre Dame shows that plastic containers, which are used for household cleaners, pesticides, personal care products, and potentially food packaging, contain high levels of PFAS, a toxic class of fluorine compounds known as "forever chemicals." These chemicals are capable of leaching from ...
That may be especially important if your food is warm and if it comes in paper bags or molded fiber bowls, which had the highest levels in CR's tests. Ideally, put food into foil, silicone, or glass containers, which typically don't have PFAS.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals, have been identified in toilet paper from brands around the world in a new study. The research adds to a growing list of studies finding PFAS in everything from rainwater to tap water to even umbilical cord blood.
PFAS are often used in grease-proof food wrappers including pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, burger or sandwich wrappers and other take-out containers. PFAS in packaging can leach into food and drink, where they can be ingested.
These are commonly referred to as GenX, ADONA and F53B, respectively. Replacement chemicals, like GenX, tend to have fewer carbon atoms in the chain, but have many similar physical and chemical properties as their predecessors PFOS and PFOA (e.g. they repel oil and water).
The mixture profiles demonstrated that the PFASs in Chinese drinking water were dominated by the PFOA (0.1–93.0%), PFBA (0–98.7%) and PFOS (0–82.7%) as shown in Fig. 2, with variations across different cities.
Based on this data, EWG's analysis suggests that up to 110 million Americans could have PFAS in their water. This new research greatly exceeds EWG's previous estimate of 16 million Americans being exposed to PFAS-contaminated water, as reported in the EWG's national Tap Water Database.
All sparkling water brands on the market have to comply with safe limits, but some brands still contain low levels of PFAS. However, some scientists and environmental groups believe that a limit of 1 part per trillion (ppt) is an appropriate limit, although the chemicals aren't currently subject to federal regulation.
PFAS Ingredients found in Hand Sanitizers
Besides hand sanitizers, products that contain PFAS include nonstick cookware, food wrappers, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, carpets, firefighting foams and more.
As of June 2022, 2,858 locations in 50 states and two territories are known to be contaminated.
What states have banned PFAS?
For example, California, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York and Wisconsin enacted legislation regulating PFAS in firefighting foam and firefighting equipment. New York also established requirements for consumer notices for the use of PFAS and other chemicals in children's products.
Michigan has the highest levels of PFAS in the U.S.
McDonald's has used PFAS for decades, suit claims
To prevent grease from leaking from the new packaging, McDonald's added a PFA made by 3M called “Scotchban FC-807” to the paper bags and increased its profits by millions each year, the complaint says.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Thyroid Cancer.
Lung tissues accumulated the highest concentration of PFASs. However, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid were more prevalent in liver and bone, respectively.
The level of many PFASs was reduced by washing and drying in all the fabrics, according to the researchers, suggesting that these were released from the material and potentially transferred into the environment.
Despite commitments to eventually eliminate the chemicals, a recent report found PFAS are still prevalent in fast food packaging at chains including McDonald's and Burger King.
As of today, seven states including California, New York, Maine, Vermont, Washington, Connecticut, and Minnesota have adopted legislation banning the use of PFAS in food packaging. At the federal level, FDA entered into an agreement with PFAS manfuacturers over the voluntary “phase-out” of certain PFAS by Jan 2024.
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two types of PFAS that are no longer manufactured or imported into the United States [2]; however, there could be some imported goods containing trace amounts of these substances[3].
Ziploc bags do not contain PFAS, but with the other contaminations in the environment, anyone could fall victim to a PFAS-related illness.
Is PFAS still in popcorn bags?
PFAS is a man-made class of plastic chemical compounds commonly used in microwavable popcorn bags. It is also used in packaging such as cardboard takeout containers, pizza boxes, fast food packaging, and pet food bags.
Does bottled water contain PFAS? PFAS have been found in some brands of bottled water. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not put enforceable limits in place yet.
Although the evidence is not as strong as for fish and shellfish, Eick said eggs, certain kinds of meat, especially liver and other organ meats and dairy products have also been found to have higher levels of longer chain PFAS in particular. EU scientists have also warned that fruit can contain elevated levels of PFAS.
But what consumers may not have realized is that the grease-resistant wrapper contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl carbons, PFAS for short, a toxic artificial compound. "They last forever.
Reduce Use of Products that Contain PFAS
Check product labels for ingredients that include the words "fluoro" or "perfluoro." Be aware of packaging for foods that contain grease-repellent coatings. Examples include microwave popcorn bags and fast food wrappers and boxes. Avoid stain-resistance treatments.
We'll help you unravel its mysteries. Eight restaurants, including those that tout a healthier menu—Chick-fil-A, Arby's, Burger King, McDonald's, Nathan's Famous, Taco Bell, Sweetgreen, and Cava—“had at least one type of packaging,” that contained PFAS.
Currently, there are no definitive medical procedures that can clear PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from the body, according to the Secretary of the United States Navy. However, the best step you can take is to remove the source of the exposure from your environment.
Filters containing activated carbon or reverse osmosis membranes have been shown to be effective at removing PFAS from water supplies. All water treatment units require regular maintenance to work properly. Water treatment units that are not properly maintained will lose their effectiveness over time.
One report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans.
