Forever Chemicals
Source: Indian Express
GS III: Environment and Conservation

What is discussed under Forever Chemicals?

1. What are Forever Chemicals or PFAS?
2. How are we exposed to PFAS?
3. How harmful are PFAS?
4. How are PFAS regulated globally?
5. How can PFAS be removed from rainwater?
6. How can avoid PFAS?

Why in News?

According to a recent study published in Environment Science and Technology, forever chemicals are contaminating rainwater from many locations around the world due to their tendency to persist in the atmosphere, rainwater, and soil for extended periods of time.

What Are Forever Chemicals or PFAS?

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) were first developed in the 1940s.
• They are a vast chemical family that includes over 9,000 artificially produced, highly persistent chemicals.
• PFAS have been referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because of their resistance to most biological and chemical degradation mechanisms.
• Therefore, they remain in the environment for a long time.
• The indestructibility of PFAS comes from their carbon-fluoride bonds, one of the strongest types of bonds in organic chemistry.
• According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PFAs are man-made chemicals used to make:
  • Nonstick cookware

    

  • Paper and cardboard food packaging 
  • Water-repellent clothing
  • Stain-resistant fabrics
  • Electronics
  • Cosmetics
  • Firefighting forms
  • Products that resist grease, water and oil
• During the course of their manufacturing and usage, PFAS can move to the land, water, and air.
• The majority of PFAS do not degrade, therefore they remain in the environment for a long time.

Which are the common PFAS?

• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are the PFAS that are most often researched.
• Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorononanoic acid are the next two substances that are often researched (PFNA).
• Although PFOA and PFOS are no longer manufactured or used in the United States, they may still be used in other nations.

How Are We Exposed to PFAS?

• Drinking contaminated municipal water or water from a private well.
• Food produced or reared close to PFAS production or usage facilities.
• Consuming fish that has been caught in PFAS-contaminated water (PFOS in particular).
• Swallowing contaminated soil or dust accidentally.
• Consuming food packed in PFAS-containing materials.
• Use various consumer goods, like as flooring that resists stains and clothes that are water resistant.

How Harmful Are PFAS?

• According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFA exposure is linked to a number of health hazards, including:
  • Reduced fertility
  • Impacts on children’s development
  • Interaction with body hormones
  • Elevated cholesterol levels
  • Increased risk of some malignancies
• Recent studies have also shown that long-term low-level exposure to certain PFAS can interfere with the ability of people to develop antibodies following vaccination against different illnesses.
• Two of the most studied chemicals in this family, PFOA and PFOS have been shown to:
  • Interfere with the hormonal system (so they are called endocrine disruptors)
  • Interfere with the reproductive system and the development of the foetus
  • Impact the immune system and have been linked to reduced responses to vaccines in children
  • Promote the development of certain cancers (e.g. kidney and testicular cancer)

How Are PFAS Regulated Globally?

• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
  • It is an international treaty that aims to ban or regulate the use of the most toxic chemical substances of global concern.
  • PFOS and similar compounds have been included in the convention since 2009 for worldwide limitation
  • PFOA and related substances have been listed since 2019 for global elimination.
• Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
  • It is a European Union regulation dating from 18 December 2006.
  • Several other sub-groups of PFAS are regulated through REACH.
• Currently, five European Member States are working on an EU-wide restriction proposal of all PFAS for an entry into force in 2025.
• European Commission included comprehensive actions on the PFAS group in its new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability including phasing out all PFAS in all non-essential uses.

How Can PFAS Be Removed from Rainwater?

• PFAS can be removed from rainwater gathered through various rainwater collecting techniques in a number of efficient and albeit expensive ways.
• Utilizing an activated carbon filter system is one method to do this.
• The activated carbon will need to be removed and replaced regularly.
• Additionally, the old, contaminated material needs to be eliminated.
• A cheaper method is under trial.
  • In a recent research, a PFA compound was first placed in a solvent called DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide).
  • Then mixed it with sodium hydroxide (lye) in water and found that when this mixture was heated up to boiling temperature, the PFA compound began to degrade.
  • However, this method works for only certain PFA subsets.

How Can Avoid PFAS?

• Avoid using non-stick cookware and favour home-cooked meals over fast-food and takeaways.
• Check for PFAS- or PFC-free labels on cloths.
• Avoid cosmetics containing chemicals with “fluoro” or PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) in their name. 
• Avoid dental floss with PTFE coatings.

Take Action

• Make sure that various PFAS compounds are monitored in the environment.
• All very persistent synthetic compounds should be subject to new, protective legislation.
• Replace PFAS chemicals with safer, non-PFAS alternatives.

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