It’s me again. Smaller portions. Still filling. Still provocative. Still pushing readers to pay attention to health through nutrition. And I won’t mind if you chew out local, state, or federal officials on issues affecting the food supply. The general good is increasingly being sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed and/or political expediency.
Take PFAS. All 12,000+ of them.
On August 4, “The Invisible Tsunami,” a large study released by British-based Deep Science Ventures and the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, concluded that chemical exposure is the “most underrated threat facing humanity.”
Analyzing countless peer-reviewed scientific papers, including many interviews with experts on the impacts of chemical toxicity on humans and environment, as well as investors, the study shows PFAS in humans globally and in almost everyone tested.
The most common source of PFAS is drinking water. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates 45% of U.S. municipal systems are contaminated with at least one PFAS according to tests conducted between 2016 and 2021. But in a 2020 study released by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) report some 200 million Americans are exposed to PFAS of 1 part per trillion or higher.
Their mission? To “shine a spotlight on outdated legislation, harmful agricultural practices and industry loopholes that pose a risk to our health and the health of our environment,” through independent research and transparency.
During the Biden administration, the EPA finalized the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation in April 2024. It set enforceable testing standards for six of the most common hazardous PFAS chemicals for all municipal/water utility companies to be completed as of 2027. The Trump administration wants to extend the deadline to 2031 and is reconsidering the top six offending PFAS.
Further, while the Biden administration was preparing corporate accountability measures, the Trump administration is proposing to abolish the PFAS limit in industrial wastewater discharges, most – if not all – of which drain into sensitive ecosystems and, are rolling back accountability.
PFAS are linked to cancer, reproductive issues, immune system damage, and other serious health effects, even at low levels.
Scientifically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS were first developed in the early 20th century for benign intentions: non-stick cookware, waterproof textiles, heat resistant products for industry/manufacturing. Teflon was developed on April 6, 1938, by a chemist at DuPont. Subsequent offenders include 3M, Chemours, and more close to home, Saint-Gobain, in Merrimack, although the company never acknowledged accountability for PFAS attribution saying the facility closed as part of “restructuring of US production strategy.”
Over the decades, PFAS has grown exponentially. From carpeting to clothing, cosmetics to electronics, dental floss to food packaging, fire-fighting gear and fire-fighting foam, the list is endless.
So is the lifespan of PFAS. Hence the term, forever chemicals. The elimination half-life from the human body of the most common PFAS – PFOS, most commonly found in municipal drinking water – is between 3.3 and 27 years. Think about that. Up to 54 years.
I’ve been thinking about it a lot.
Enormous amounts of PFAS-ridden garbage goes to landfills every day, but we can never get rid of them. Particles smaller than the eye can see are in the air we breathe. In the water we drink. Are absorbed by plants we eat. The livestock and seafood you prepare or eat in restaurants. They’re found in breast milk and blood samples of newborn babies. In ice samples on Mount Everest. At the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
Even earthworms – the unsung workhorse of healthy soil are not spared. PFAS damages the earthworm’s digestive tract making it unable to excrete valuable fertilizer waste back into the soil.
It’s not just about worms. There’s a much broader point: “The observed adverse effects indicate that PFAS contamination can disrupt [. . . ] essential ecosystem services, leading to broader ecological consequences.”( Environmental Advances, April 2023)
How are we going to grow optimal food crops without optimal soil?
Organic farmers are struggling with the PFAS issue as rainwater often exceeds health recommendations for municipal drinking water. A reminder that PFAS are so small they are absorbed by the plant’s root system and, by capillary action, are transported to leaves.
Those in the Greater Manchester/Greater Nashua area on municipal water systems have been informed that PFAS levels in their drinking water are within current national and state safety levels. Levels that were going to be updated by federal regulation in 2027 and now, will most likely be rolled back as mentioned.
The Natural Resources Defense Council has a strong warning: almost no level of exposure is safe for public health. (NRDC, April 2024)
In the next Food for Thought, Natural Antidotes (kinda) to PFAS’ Poison.
Carolyn R. Choate, a lifelong foodie, has discovered a deeper relationship between health and diet. She is certified in whole food, plant-based nutrition from Cornell’s T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. You can reach her at crchoate13@gmail.com.
Disclaimer: The writer’s experiences and observations are intended for informational purposes only and are not intended to provide medical advice about the avoidance, diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Medical advice should be sought from a qualified healthcare professional.