Pfas

Exclusive: Testing in Bentham, home to UK’s highest recorded Pfas levels, finds one in four have blood levels in greatest risk categoryAlarming levels of toxic forever chemicals have been found in the blood of people living in a town previously revealed to be contaminated with the UK’s highest recorded level of Pfas.Pfas, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and commonly known as forever chemicals because of their persistence in the environment, have been linked to a wide range of serious illnesses, including some cancers. They are used in a variety of consumer products but one of their most prolific uses is in firefighting foam. Continue reading...

• The EPA issued a final rule on February 27, 2026, adding sodium perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS-Na) to the list of chemicals subject to toxic chemical release reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. • The rule implements a mandate from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 and requires reporting for chemicals subject to the Pollution Prevention Act beginning with reporting year 2026. • The final rule becomes effective March 30, 2026, and the EPA determined notice-and-comment rulemaking was unnecessary as the action conforms regulations to Congressional legislative mandate.

• A new study finds that exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)—chemicals used in non-stick coatings and water-resistant products—is linked to low bone density in teenagers. • The research, announced by the Endocrine Society, involved collaboration between the CDC, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Simon Fraser University, and George Washington University. • The finding adds to growing evidence that PFAS contamination poses significant health risks, particularly during critical periods of skeletal development in adolescence.

Review from non-profit finds range of scenarios of firms simultaneously lobbying for and against Pfas regulationsSome top US lobbying firms are simultaneously working both sides of the Pfas “forever chemicals” issue, raising serious conflict of interest questions and concerns that their activity is slowing states’ efforts to rein in the public health threat.The review of six states’ lobbying records conducted by the non-profit F-Minus found a range of scenarios in which firms lobbied both sides. Most common Pfas are linked to cancer. The lobbying firm Holland & Knight works for the American Chemistry Council, which represents the nation’s largest Pfas makers, and aggressively opposes most regulations. Simultaneously, Holland & Knight lobbies for the American Cancer Society. Continue reading...