Americans are more aware than ever of PFAS in their everyday products. Most notably, the common guidance is to avoid bags of microwave popcorn, Teflon pans, and takeout containers treated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
But what many Americans don't know yet is that PFAS are also a potential intruder in homegrown produce, as proved in a recent study examining home gardens around a North Carolina PFAS plant.
What's happening?
The study was conducted in North Carolina near a plant owned by Chemours, and it concluded that PFAS had affected gardens via air pollution — in other words, it was emitted from the plant and settled down to the ground across the surrounding area.
In the peer-reviewed study, traces of PFAS "forever chemicals" were found in all 53 samples of produce acquired from gardens in Fayetteville. This study was conducted between 2013 and 2019.
Most of the gardens in the study were watered with rainwater instead of groundwater, and it was noted that there were higher levels of PFAS in produce from gardens downwind from the factory — implying air pollution over groundwater contamination.
"In some communities, exposure routes other than drinking water can be important and perhaps overlooked," the co-author of the study, North Carolina State University PFAS researcher Detlef Knappe, told the Guardian.
Why are PFAS important?
PFAS are considered "forever chemicals" because they take longer than the average human lifespan to break down. These chemicals are also known to accumulate in the body and are linked to many diseases, including cancer, birth defects, and liver disease.
"We're not able to capture the true risk," Knappe told the Guardian. "That points to an urgent need — we need this toxicity data."
Industry lobbyists have spent more than $100 million to block bills associated with PFAS regulation, and the Guardian reported that the Food and Drug Administration does not do enough to test for PFAS contamination as it sets the minimum detection threshold too high. Unfortunately, those thresholds are often set for adults, and kids end up paying the price.
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Majorly 😥 What's being done about PFAS exposure?
The Environmental Protection Agency is creating new rules to label PFAS as hazardous substances, and there are many PFAS studies in progress trying to find links to diseases to determine causation.
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If you are looking to reduce your exposure to PFAS in your daily life, consider wearing gloves or masks around products with PFAS that are in aerosol form and using your voice to advocate for change — especially if there is a plant in your area that your local government representatives may be able to hold accountable for pollution. Beyond that, you can do research on synthetic fabrics and other products that may use these chemicals, most commonly found in products under the names Teflon and Gore-Tex, to reduce consumer demand.
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