#pfaspollution — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #pfaspollution, aggregated by home.social.
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More about #Maine's #PFASBan from July 2025.
Excerpt:
"The Department of Environmental Protection is also recommending the board reject exemptions for #KitchenAppliances, #coffeemakers, electric fragrance warmers, and components in #CleaningProducts and furniture."Maine passed an amended law to ban #PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in 2024. Starting next year, it will be illegal to sell a range of products from #SkiWax to #cosmetics, that include intentionally added PFAS.
PFAS are known as 'forever chemicals' because they do not easily break down in the natural environment or living tissue. The products have been linked to serious health problems in humans, including cancer, kidney disease and low birth weight."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/adI0c#selection-1435.4-1463.13#MainePol #PFASBan #PFASPollution
#SaferChemicals #PFOS #Pollution #ForeverChemicals -
#Dupont Finally Held Accountable for #PFASPollution in Historic Settlement Valued Over $2B
August 4, 2025
Excerpt:
"NJ Sierra Club Chapter Director, Anjuli Ramos-Busot, issued the following statement:" '#DuPont has been knowingly poisoning our lands and waters for decades. As an entity of chemical innovation, DuPont brought prosperity to New Jersey. But, like with all polluters with a ROI bottom line, the true impact brought to #NewJersey was hidden from us. However, now the contamination from DuPont is so obvious and widespread throughout the state that they can no longer hide. We are now at the point where we have entered the billion-dollar level to clean up #PFAS pollution, which goes to show the severity of contamination. DuPont has finally been held responsible for what they have done to New Jersey, to our public health, and to our environment.
" 'Can we call this justice? Not yet. DuPont has done this across the world and in many other parts of the country. Until all of those sites are cleaned up and PFAS is no longer in our environment or in our blood, then we can call it justice.
" 'Today’s settlement is an incredible and historical achievement for New Jersey. This is the state’s third PFAS settlement with corporate polluters to come in two years, which continues to reinforce that their negligence will no longer be tolerated.
" 'As we face the dismantling of the EPA , rollbacks in PFAS regulations, and the cutting of environmental protections at the federal level, we must step up in New Jersey to protect ourselves and ensure clean drinking water and air for all. We thank Attorney General Platkin and NJDEP Commissioner LaTourette for doing just that, for standing up to the multi-billion dollar chemical industry in an incredible legal fight with one of the titans of the industry, and we urge them to keep the momentum going.' "
#DuPontLied #DuPontKnew #DupontdeNemours #BigChem #PFasPollution #ForeverChemicals #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife
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#CommunityVoicesForChange on #WMPG!
Topics include:
#PFASPollution in Maine
#TransgenderYouth
#FoodInsecurity
#AISurveillance
#VotersRights
#NuclearWeapons
And much, much more!Stream on demand:
https://www.wmpg.org/wmpg-podcasts/community-voices-for-change/ -
#CommunityVoicesForChange on #WMPG!
Topics include:
#PFASPollution in Maine
#TransgenderYouth
#FoodInsecurity
#AISurveillance
#VotersRights
#NuclearWeapons
And much, much more!Stream on demand:
https://www.wmpg.org/wmpg-podcasts/community-voices-for-change/ -
#CommunityVoicesForChange on #WMPG!
Topics include:
#PFASPollution in Maine
#TransgenderYouth
#FoodInsecurity
#AISurveillance
#VotersRights
#NuclearWeapons
And much, much more!Stream on demand:
https://www.wmpg.org/wmpg-podcasts/community-voices-for-change/ -
#CommunityVoicesForChange on #WMPG!
Topics include:
#PFASPollution in Maine
#TransgenderYouth
#FoodInsecurity
#AISurveillance
#VotersRights
#NuclearWeapons
And much, much more!Stream on demand:
https://www.wmpg.org/wmpg-podcasts/community-voices-for-change/ -
#CommunityVoicesForChange on #WMPG!
Topics include:
#PFASPollution in Maine
#TransgenderYouth
#FoodInsecurity
#AISurveillance
#VotersRights
#NuclearWeapons
And much, much more!Stream on demand:
https://www.wmpg.org/wmpg-podcasts/community-voices-for-change/ -
Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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"Advocates began sounding the alarm over PFAS in pesticides in 2023. The #Biden EPA attempted to discredit the author of one study that identified PFAS in pesticides, and the agency appeared to have lied about whether some of the chemicals are in pesticides. Under Donald #Trump, the EPA has increased the number of PFAS proposed for use in pesticides."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/18/california-pfas-forever-chemicals
#USPol #EPAFail #ForeverChemicals #DowChemicalKnew
#3MKnew #BigAg #RoundupReady #Glyphosate #Bees #Extinction #Hubris #WaterIsLife #PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage #EPACuts #Pollution #PFOS #PFASPollution #PFASContamnation #ManMadeDisasters #3M #3MLied #GenXChemicals
#PFNA #PFHxS -
HT @ai6yr
#California farms applied millions of pounds of #PFAS to key crops, study finds‘#ForeverChemicals’ sprayed on #almonds, #grapes, #tomatoes and other crops as activists warn of ‘obvious problem’
by Tom Perkins
Tue 18 Nov 2025 07.00 ESTExcerpt: "California farms applied an average of 2.5m lbs of PFAS “forever chemicals” per year on cropland from 2018 to 2023, or a total of about 15m lbs, a new review of state records shows.
The chemicals are added to pesticides that are sprayed on crops such as almonds, pistachios, #wine grapes, #alfalfa and tomatoes, the review of California Department of Pesticide Regulation data found. The Environmental Working Group nonprofit put together the report.
The risk for uptake of PFAS is likely higher in water-rich fruits and vegetables, because water attracts the chemicals, and research has shown PFAS may concentrate at dangerous levels in some produce. The chemicals also pollute water supplies and present a higher risk to the often low income and Latino #farmworkers."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/18/california-pfas-forever-chemicals#ForeverChemicals #DowChemicalKnew
#3MKnew #BigAg #RoundupReady #Glyphosate #Bees #Extinction #Hubris #WaterIsLife #PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage #EPACuts #Pollution #PFOS #PFASPollution #PFASContamnation #ManMadeDisasters #3M #3MLied #GenXChemicals
#PFNA #PFHxS -
#Sweden - Removal of #PFAS from water by #AquaticPlants
Maria Greger, Tommy Landberg
February, 2024Highlights
• High total biomass is important plant trait for high PFAS accumulation from water.
• Higher PFAS accumulation in shoot than roots with time.
• Degradation of PFAS with root peroxidases and laccases.Abstract:
"We have found that aquatic plants can reduce the content of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) within a short period of time. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in the uptake of PFAS from contaminated water by various #wetland plant species, investigate the effect of #biomass on PFAS removal, and determine whether laccases and peroxidases are involved in the removal and degradation of PFAS. Seventeen emergent and one submerged wetland plant species were screened for PFAS uptake from highly contaminated lake water. The screening showed that #EriophorumAngustifolium, #CarexRostrata, and #ElodeaCanadensis accumulated the highest levels of all PFAS. These species were thereafter used to investigate the effect of biomass on PFAS removal from water and for the enzyme studies. The results showed that the greater the biomass per volume, the greater the PFAS removal effect. The plant-based removal of PFAS from water is mainly due to plant absorption, although degradation also occurs. In the beginning, most of the PFAS accumulated in the roots; over time, more was translocated to the shoots, resulting in a higher concentration in the shoots than in the roots. Most PFAS degradation occurred in the water; the metabolites were thereafter taken up by the plants and were accumulated in the roots and shoots. Both peroxidases and laccases were able to degrade PFAS. We conclude that wetland plants can be used for the purification of PFAS-contaminated water. For effective purification, a high biomass per volume of water is required."
Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972302683X#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
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#Sweden - Removal of #PFAS from water by #AquaticPlants
Maria Greger, Tommy Landberg
February, 2024Highlights
• High total biomass is important plant trait for high PFAS accumulation from water.
• Higher PFAS accumulation in shoot than roots with time.
• Degradation of PFAS with root peroxidases and laccases.Abstract:
"We have found that aquatic plants can reduce the content of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) within a short period of time. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in the uptake of PFAS from contaminated water by various #wetland plant species, investigate the effect of #biomass on PFAS removal, and determine whether laccases and peroxidases are involved in the removal and degradation of PFAS. Seventeen emergent and one submerged wetland plant species were screened for PFAS uptake from highly contaminated lake water. The screening showed that #EriophorumAngustifolium, #CarexRostrata, and #ElodeaCanadensis accumulated the highest levels of all PFAS. These species were thereafter used to investigate the effect of biomass on PFAS removal from water and for the enzyme studies. The results showed that the greater the biomass per volume, the greater the PFAS removal effect. The plant-based removal of PFAS from water is mainly due to plant absorption, although degradation also occurs. In the beginning, most of the PFAS accumulated in the roots; over time, more was translocated to the shoots, resulting in a higher concentration in the shoots than in the roots. Most PFAS degradation occurred in the water; the metabolites were thereafter taken up by the plants and were accumulated in the roots and shoots. Both peroxidases and laccases were able to degrade PFAS. We conclude that wetland plants can be used for the purification of PFAS-contaminated water. For effective purification, a high biomass per volume of water is required."
Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972302683X#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
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#Sweden - Removal of #PFAS from water by #AquaticPlants
Maria Greger, Tommy Landberg
February, 2024Highlights
• High total biomass is important plant trait for high PFAS accumulation from water.
• Higher PFAS accumulation in shoot than roots with time.
• Degradation of PFAS with root peroxidases and laccases.Abstract:
"We have found that aquatic plants can reduce the content of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) within a short period of time. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in the uptake of PFAS from contaminated water by various #wetland plant species, investigate the effect of #biomass on PFAS removal, and determine whether laccases and peroxidases are involved in the removal and degradation of PFAS. Seventeen emergent and one submerged wetland plant species were screened for PFAS uptake from highly contaminated lake water. The screening showed that #EriophorumAngustifolium, #CarexRostrata, and #ElodeaCanadensis accumulated the highest levels of all PFAS. These species were thereafter used to investigate the effect of biomass on PFAS removal from water and for the enzyme studies. The results showed that the greater the biomass per volume, the greater the PFAS removal effect. The plant-based removal of PFAS from water is mainly due to plant absorption, although degradation also occurs. In the beginning, most of the PFAS accumulated in the roots; over time, more was translocated to the shoots, resulting in a higher concentration in the shoots than in the roots. Most PFAS degradation occurred in the water; the metabolites were thereafter taken up by the plants and were accumulated in the roots and shoots. Both peroxidases and laccases were able to degrade PFAS. We conclude that wetland plants can be used for the purification of PFAS-contaminated water. For effective purification, a high biomass per volume of water is required."
Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972302683X#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
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#Sweden - Removal of #PFAS from water by #AquaticPlants
Maria Greger, Tommy Landberg
February, 2024Highlights
• High total biomass is important plant trait for high PFAS accumulation from water.
• Higher PFAS accumulation in shoot than roots with time.
• Degradation of PFAS with root peroxidases and laccases.Abstract:
"We have found that aquatic plants can reduce the content of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) within a short period of time. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in the uptake of PFAS from contaminated water by various #wetland plant species, investigate the effect of #biomass on PFAS removal, and determine whether laccases and peroxidases are involved in the removal and degradation of PFAS. Seventeen emergent and one submerged wetland plant species were screened for PFAS uptake from highly contaminated lake water. The screening showed that #EriophorumAngustifolium, #CarexRostrata, and #ElodeaCanadensis accumulated the highest levels of all PFAS. These species were thereafter used to investigate the effect of biomass on PFAS removal from water and for the enzyme studies. The results showed that the greater the biomass per volume, the greater the PFAS removal effect. The plant-based removal of PFAS from water is mainly due to plant absorption, although degradation also occurs. In the beginning, most of the PFAS accumulated in the roots; over time, more was translocated to the shoots, resulting in a higher concentration in the shoots than in the roots. Most PFAS degradation occurred in the water; the metabolites were thereafter taken up by the plants and were accumulated in the roots and shoots. Both peroxidases and laccases were able to degrade PFAS. We conclude that wetland plants can be used for the purification of PFAS-contaminated water. For effective purification, a high biomass per volume of water is required."
Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972302683X#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
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#Sweden - Removal of #PFAS from water by #AquaticPlants
Maria Greger, Tommy Landberg
February, 2024Highlights
• High total biomass is important plant trait for high PFAS accumulation from water.
• Higher PFAS accumulation in shoot than roots with time.
• Degradation of PFAS with root peroxidases and laccases.Abstract:
"We have found that aquatic plants can reduce the content of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) within a short period of time. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in the uptake of PFAS from contaminated water by various #wetland plant species, investigate the effect of #biomass on PFAS removal, and determine whether laccases and peroxidases are involved in the removal and degradation of PFAS. Seventeen emergent and one submerged wetland plant species were screened for PFAS uptake from highly contaminated lake water. The screening showed that #EriophorumAngustifolium, #CarexRostrata, and #ElodeaCanadensis accumulated the highest levels of all PFAS. These species were thereafter used to investigate the effect of biomass on PFAS removal from water and for the enzyme studies. The results showed that the greater the biomass per volume, the greater the PFAS removal effect. The plant-based removal of PFAS from water is mainly due to plant absorption, although degradation also occurs. In the beginning, most of the PFAS accumulated in the roots; over time, more was translocated to the shoots, resulting in a higher concentration in the shoots than in the roots. Most PFAS degradation occurred in the water; the metabolites were thereafter taken up by the plants and were accumulated in the roots and shoots. Both peroxidases and laccases were able to degrade PFAS. We conclude that wetland plants can be used for the purification of PFAS-contaminated water. For effective purification, a high biomass per volume of water is required."
Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972302683X#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
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#Australia: Research shows #NativePlants can detox #PFAS-contaminated #water
New research from Australia's national science agency #CSIRO, the #UniversityOfSouthAustralia and the #UniversityOfWesternAustralia has found that PFAS chemicals can be removed from contaminated water using Australian plants grown in a floating #wetland.
May 4, 2022
"They’re the non-stick on #Teflon cookware, the stain resistance in #Scotchgard, and the suppression factor in #FirefightingFoam, but while the staying power of PFAS chemicals was once revered, it’s now infamous as PFAS substances continue to infiltrate the #environment and affect human health.
"Now, new research from the University of South Australia is helping to remediate the ‘indestructible’ PFASs as scientists show that Australian native plants can significantly remediate PFAS pollutants through floating wetlands to create healthier environments for all.
"Conducted in partnership with CSIRO and the University of Western Australia, the research found that PFAS chemicals (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) can be removed from contaminated water via Australian #NativeRushes - #PhragmitesAustralis, #BaumeaArticulata, and #JuncusKraussii.
"Phragmites australis, otherwise known as the #CommonReed, removed legacy PFAS contaminants by 42-53 per cent from contaminated surface water (level: 10 µg/L).
"According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to PFAS may lead to a range of health issues including a decline in fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers, a reduced immune system, higher cholesterol, and risk of obesity.
"UniSA and CSIRO researcher Dr John Awad says that this research could alleviate many of these environmental and health risks by providing a clean, green, and cost-effective method to remove PFAS from the environment.
" 'PFASs are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down, instead accumulating in the environment and in our bodies where they can cause adverse health effects,' Dr Awad says.
" 'In Australia, PFAS concerns often relate to the use of firefighting foam – especially legacy firefighting foam – which accumulates in the #SurfaceWater of our #waterways.
" 'Our research tested the effectiveness of Australian rushes to remove #PFASChemicals from #stormwater, finding that Phragmites australis was the most effective at absorbing chemicals through its roots and shoots.'
"The study used constructed floating wetlands as a mechanism for plants to grow #hydroponically. Dr Awad says floating wetlands present a novel and flexible way for natural #remediation systems.
" 'Constructed floating wetlands can be readily installed into existing urban environments, such as holding reservoirs and retention basins, making them highly manoeuvrable and adaptable to local waterways,' Dr Awad says.
" 'Plus, as this innovative water treatment system does not require pumping or the ongoing addition of #chemicals, it is a #CostEffective remediation system for PFAS removal.
" 'Add native plants to the mix and we have delivered a truly clean, green and environmentally-friendly method for removing toxic PFAS chemicals from contaminated water.' "
Notes to editors:
- So far, the floating wetlands system has only been examined under control laboratory conditions for PFAS remediation and the research team is looking forward to testing it in the real world, under natural conditions.
- This research is being carried out at the UniSA Mawson Lakes campus. PFAS has not been detected in or around Mawson lakes."Original press release:
https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2022/hydroponic-native-plants-to-detox-pfas-contaminated-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #Remediation #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
-
#Australia: Research shows #NativePlants can detox #PFAS-contaminated #water
New research from Australia's national science agency #CSIRO, the #UniversityOfSouthAustralia and the #UniversityOfWesternAustralia has found that PFAS chemicals can be removed from contaminated water using Australian plants grown in a floating #wetland.
May 4, 2022
"They’re the non-stick on #Teflon cookware, the stain resistance in #Scotchgard, and the suppression factor in #FirefightingFoam, but while the staying power of PFAS chemicals was once revered, it’s now infamous as PFAS substances continue to infiltrate the #environment and affect human health.
"Now, new research from the University of South Australia is helping to remediate the ‘indestructible’ PFASs as scientists show that Australian native plants can significantly remediate PFAS pollutants through floating wetlands to create healthier environments for all.
"Conducted in partnership with CSIRO and the University of Western Australia, the research found that PFAS chemicals (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) can be removed from contaminated water via Australian #NativeRushes - #PhragmitesAustralis, #BaumeaArticulata, and #JuncusKraussii.
"Phragmites australis, otherwise known as the #CommonReed, removed legacy PFAS contaminants by 42-53 per cent from contaminated surface water (level: 10 µg/L).
"According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to PFAS may lead to a range of health issues including a decline in fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers, a reduced immune system, higher cholesterol, and risk of obesity.
"UniSA and CSIRO researcher Dr John Awad says that this research could alleviate many of these environmental and health risks by providing a clean, green, and cost-effective method to remove PFAS from the environment.
" 'PFASs are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down, instead accumulating in the environment and in our bodies where they can cause adverse health effects,' Dr Awad says.
" 'In Australia, PFAS concerns often relate to the use of firefighting foam – especially legacy firefighting foam – which accumulates in the #SurfaceWater of our #waterways.
" 'Our research tested the effectiveness of Australian rushes to remove #PFASChemicals from #stormwater, finding that Phragmites australis was the most effective at absorbing chemicals through its roots and shoots.'
"The study used constructed floating wetlands as a mechanism for plants to grow #hydroponically. Dr Awad says floating wetlands present a novel and flexible way for natural #remediation systems.
" 'Constructed floating wetlands can be readily installed into existing urban environments, such as holding reservoirs and retention basins, making them highly manoeuvrable and adaptable to local waterways,' Dr Awad says.
" 'Plus, as this innovative water treatment system does not require pumping or the ongoing addition of #chemicals, it is a #CostEffective remediation system for PFAS removal.
" 'Add native plants to the mix and we have delivered a truly clean, green and environmentally-friendly method for removing toxic PFAS chemicals from contaminated water.' "
Notes to editors:
- So far, the floating wetlands system has only been examined under control laboratory conditions for PFAS remediation and the research team is looking forward to testing it in the real world, under natural conditions.
- This research is being carried out at the UniSA Mawson Lakes campus. PFAS has not been detected in or around Mawson lakes."Original press release:
https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2022/hydroponic-native-plants-to-detox-pfas-contaminated-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #Remediation #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
-
#Australia: Research shows #NativePlants can detox #PFAS-contaminated #water
New research from Australia's national science agency #CSIRO, the #UniversityOfSouthAustralia and the #UniversityOfWesternAustralia has found that PFAS chemicals can be removed from contaminated water using Australian plants grown in a floating #wetland.
May 4, 2022
"They’re the non-stick on #Teflon cookware, the stain resistance in #Scotchgard, and the suppression factor in #FirefightingFoam, but while the staying power of PFAS chemicals was once revered, it’s now infamous as PFAS substances continue to infiltrate the #environment and affect human health.
"Now, new research from the University of South Australia is helping to remediate the ‘indestructible’ PFASs as scientists show that Australian native plants can significantly remediate PFAS pollutants through floating wetlands to create healthier environments for all.
"Conducted in partnership with CSIRO and the University of Western Australia, the research found that PFAS chemicals (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) can be removed from contaminated water via Australian #NativeRushes - #PhragmitesAustralis, #BaumeaArticulata, and #JuncusKraussii.
"Phragmites australis, otherwise known as the #CommonReed, removed legacy PFAS contaminants by 42-53 per cent from contaminated surface water (level: 10 µg/L).
"According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to PFAS may lead to a range of health issues including a decline in fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers, a reduced immune system, higher cholesterol, and risk of obesity.
"UniSA and CSIRO researcher Dr John Awad says that this research could alleviate many of these environmental and health risks by providing a clean, green, and cost-effective method to remove PFAS from the environment.
" 'PFASs are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down, instead accumulating in the environment and in our bodies where they can cause adverse health effects,' Dr Awad says.
" 'In Australia, PFAS concerns often relate to the use of firefighting foam – especially legacy firefighting foam – which accumulates in the #SurfaceWater of our #waterways.
" 'Our research tested the effectiveness of Australian rushes to remove #PFASChemicals from #stormwater, finding that Phragmites australis was the most effective at absorbing chemicals through its roots and shoots.'
"The study used constructed floating wetlands as a mechanism for plants to grow #hydroponically. Dr Awad says floating wetlands present a novel and flexible way for natural #remediation systems.
" 'Constructed floating wetlands can be readily installed into existing urban environments, such as holding reservoirs and retention basins, making them highly manoeuvrable and adaptable to local waterways,' Dr Awad says.
" 'Plus, as this innovative water treatment system does not require pumping or the ongoing addition of #chemicals, it is a #CostEffective remediation system for PFAS removal.
" 'Add native plants to the mix and we have delivered a truly clean, green and environmentally-friendly method for removing toxic PFAS chemicals from contaminated water.' "
Notes to editors:
- So far, the floating wetlands system has only been examined under control laboratory conditions for PFAS remediation and the research team is looking forward to testing it in the real world, under natural conditions.
- This research is being carried out at the UniSA Mawson Lakes campus. PFAS has not been detected in or around Mawson lakes."Original press release:
https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2022/hydroponic-native-plants-to-detox-pfas-contaminated-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #Remediation #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
-
#Australia: Research shows #NativePlants can detox #PFAS-contaminated #water
New research from Australia's national science agency #CSIRO, the #UniversityOfSouthAustralia and the #UniversityOfWesternAustralia has found that PFAS chemicals can be removed from contaminated water using Australian plants grown in a floating #wetland.
May 4, 2022
"They’re the non-stick on #Teflon cookware, the stain resistance in #Scotchgard, and the suppression factor in #FirefightingFoam, but while the staying power of PFAS chemicals was once revered, it’s now infamous as PFAS substances continue to infiltrate the #environment and affect human health.
"Now, new research from the University of South Australia is helping to remediate the ‘indestructible’ PFASs as scientists show that Australian native plants can significantly remediate PFAS pollutants through floating wetlands to create healthier environments for all.
"Conducted in partnership with CSIRO and the University of Western Australia, the research found that PFAS chemicals (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) can be removed from contaminated water via Australian #NativeRushes - #PhragmitesAustralis, #BaumeaArticulata, and #JuncusKraussii.
"Phragmites australis, otherwise known as the #CommonReed, removed legacy PFAS contaminants by 42-53 per cent from contaminated surface water (level: 10 µg/L).
"According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to PFAS may lead to a range of health issues including a decline in fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers, a reduced immune system, higher cholesterol, and risk of obesity.
"UniSA and CSIRO researcher Dr John Awad says that this research could alleviate many of these environmental and health risks by providing a clean, green, and cost-effective method to remove PFAS from the environment.
" 'PFASs are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down, instead accumulating in the environment and in our bodies where they can cause adverse health effects,' Dr Awad says.
" 'In Australia, PFAS concerns often relate to the use of firefighting foam – especially legacy firefighting foam – which accumulates in the #SurfaceWater of our #waterways.
" 'Our research tested the effectiveness of Australian rushes to remove #PFASChemicals from #stormwater, finding that Phragmites australis was the most effective at absorbing chemicals through its roots and shoots.'
"The study used constructed floating wetlands as a mechanism for plants to grow #hydroponically. Dr Awad says floating wetlands present a novel and flexible way for natural #remediation systems.
" 'Constructed floating wetlands can be readily installed into existing urban environments, such as holding reservoirs and retention basins, making them highly manoeuvrable and adaptable to local waterways,' Dr Awad says.
" 'Plus, as this innovative water treatment system does not require pumping or the ongoing addition of #chemicals, it is a #CostEffective remediation system for PFAS removal.
" 'Add native plants to the mix and we have delivered a truly clean, green and environmentally-friendly method for removing toxic PFAS chemicals from contaminated water.' "
Notes to editors:
- So far, the floating wetlands system has only been examined under control laboratory conditions for PFAS remediation and the research team is looking forward to testing it in the real world, under natural conditions.
- This research is being carried out at the UniSA Mawson Lakes campus. PFAS has not been detected in or around Mawson lakes."Original press release:
https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2022/hydroponic-native-plants-to-detox-pfas-contaminated-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #Remediation #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
-
#Australia: Research shows #NativePlants can detox #PFAS-contaminated #water
New research from Australia's national science agency #CSIRO, the #UniversityOfSouthAustralia and the #UniversityOfWesternAustralia has found that PFAS chemicals can be removed from contaminated water using Australian plants grown in a floating #wetland.
May 4, 2022
"They’re the non-stick on #Teflon cookware, the stain resistance in #Scotchgard, and the suppression factor in #FirefightingFoam, but while the staying power of PFAS chemicals was once revered, it’s now infamous as PFAS substances continue to infiltrate the #environment and affect human health.
"Now, new research from the University of South Australia is helping to remediate the ‘indestructible’ PFASs as scientists show that Australian native plants can significantly remediate PFAS pollutants through floating wetlands to create healthier environments for all.
"Conducted in partnership with CSIRO and the University of Western Australia, the research found that PFAS chemicals (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) can be removed from contaminated water via Australian #NativeRushes - #PhragmitesAustralis, #BaumeaArticulata, and #JuncusKraussii.
"Phragmites australis, otherwise known as the #CommonReed, removed legacy PFAS contaminants by 42-53 per cent from contaminated surface water (level: 10 µg/L).
"According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to PFAS may lead to a range of health issues including a decline in fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers, a reduced immune system, higher cholesterol, and risk of obesity.
"UniSA and CSIRO researcher Dr John Awad says that this research could alleviate many of these environmental and health risks by providing a clean, green, and cost-effective method to remove PFAS from the environment.
" 'PFASs are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down, instead accumulating in the environment and in our bodies where they can cause adverse health effects,' Dr Awad says.
" 'In Australia, PFAS concerns often relate to the use of firefighting foam – especially legacy firefighting foam – which accumulates in the #SurfaceWater of our #waterways.
" 'Our research tested the effectiveness of Australian rushes to remove #PFASChemicals from #stormwater, finding that Phragmites australis was the most effective at absorbing chemicals through its roots and shoots.'
"The study used constructed floating wetlands as a mechanism for plants to grow #hydroponically. Dr Awad says floating wetlands present a novel and flexible way for natural #remediation systems.
" 'Constructed floating wetlands can be readily installed into existing urban environments, such as holding reservoirs and retention basins, making them highly manoeuvrable and adaptable to local waterways,' Dr Awad says.
" 'Plus, as this innovative water treatment system does not require pumping or the ongoing addition of #chemicals, it is a #CostEffective remediation system for PFAS removal.
" 'Add native plants to the mix and we have delivered a truly clean, green and environmentally-friendly method for removing toxic PFAS chemicals from contaminated water.' "
Notes to editors:
- So far, the floating wetlands system has only been examined under control laboratory conditions for PFAS remediation and the research team is looking forward to testing it in the real world, under natural conditions.
- This research is being carried out at the UniSA Mawson Lakes campus. PFAS has not been detected in or around Mawson lakes."Original press release:
https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2022/hydroponic-native-plants-to-detox-pfas-contaminated-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #Remediation #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation
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#MaineCDC recommends limiting fish consumption from 4 new bodies of water due to #PFAS contamination
Maine Public | By Nora Saks
Published June 30, 2025 at 5:27 PM EDT"The Maine Center for Disease Control is recommending that people limit consuming fish from four new bodies of water due to #PFASContamination.
"The new advisories apply to game fish caught in #LovejoyPond in #AlbionME, the #SebasticookRiver in #BurnhamME and #BentonCollyerBrook in #GrayME, and #AndroscogginLake in #LeedsME and #WayneME.
"The Maine CDC issued the new guidelines after elevated levels of PFAS, the group of man-made #ForeverChemicals, were detected in fish tissue sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection last year.
"In the recommendations updated last week, the Maine CDC also expanded its advisories on #AnnabessacookLake in #MonmouthME and #WinthropME, and #MessalonskeeStream in #OaklandME and #WatervilleME.
"These additions bring the total number of rivers, lakes and streams that have game fish contaminated with unsafe levels of PFAS to 25.
"For more details on the consumption limits on numbers and species of freshwater fish in each waterbody, check out the Maine CDC website."
Maine CDC website:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/eohp/fish/#EPACuts #WaterIsLife #Maine #Pollution #PFAS #PFOS #ForeverChemicals #EnvironmentalDamage #Wildlife #PFASPollution #PFASContamnation #ManMadeDisasters #3M #3MLied #Scotchgard #Scotchban #BASF #Teflon #GenXChemicals #PFNA #PFHxS #Lubricants #Cosmetics #PFB #FireFightingFoam #DowChemical
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#MaineCDC recommends limiting fish consumption from 4 new bodies of water due to #PFAS contamination
Maine Public | By Nora Saks
Published June 30, 2025 at 5:27 PM EDT"The Maine Center for Disease Control is recommending that people limit consuming fish from four new bodies of water due to #PFASContamination.
"The new advisories apply to game fish caught in #LovejoyPond in #AlbionME, the #SebasticookRiver in #BurnhamME and #BentonCollyerBrook in #GrayME, and #AndroscogginLake in #LeedsME and #WayneME.
"The Maine CDC issued the new guidelines after elevated levels of PFAS, the group of man-made #ForeverChemicals, were detected in fish tissue sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection last year.
"In the recommendations updated last week, the Maine CDC also expanded its advisories on #AnnabessacookLake in #MonmouthME and #WinthropME, and #MessalonskeeStream in #OaklandME and #WatervilleME.
"These additions bring the total number of rivers, lakes and streams that have game fish contaminated with unsafe levels of PFAS to 25.
"For more details on the consumption limits on numbers and species of freshwater fish in each waterbody, check out the Maine CDC website."
Maine CDC website:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/eohp/fish/#EPACuts #WaterIsLife #Maine #Pollution #PFAS #PFOS #ForeverChemicals #EnvironmentalDamage #Wildlife #PFASPollution #PFASContamnation #ManMadeDisasters #3M #3MLied #Scotchgard #Scotchban #BASF #Teflon #GenXChemicals #PFNA #PFHxS #Lubricants #Cosmetics #PFB #FireFightingFoam #DowChemical
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#MaineCDC recommends limiting fish consumption from 4 new bodies of water due to #PFAS contamination
Maine Public | By Nora Saks
Published June 30, 2025 at 5:27 PM EDT"The Maine Center for Disease Control is recommending that people limit consuming fish from four new bodies of water due to #PFASContamination.
"The new advisories apply to game fish caught in #LovejoyPond in #AlbionME, the #SebasticookRiver in #BurnhamME and #BentonCollyerBrook in #GrayME, and #AndroscogginLake in #LeedsME and #WayneME.
"The Maine CDC issued the new guidelines after elevated levels of PFAS, the group of man-made #ForeverChemicals, were detected in fish tissue sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection last year.
"In the recommendations updated last week, the Maine CDC also expanded its advisories on #AnnabessacookLake in #MonmouthME and #WinthropME, and #MessalonskeeStream in #OaklandME and #WatervilleME.
"These additions bring the total number of rivers, lakes and streams that have game fish contaminated with unsafe levels of PFAS to 25.
"For more details on the consumption limits on numbers and species of freshwater fish in each waterbody, check out the Maine CDC website."
Maine CDC website:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/eohp/fish/#EPACuts #WaterIsLife #Maine #Pollution #PFAS #PFOS #ForeverChemicals #EnvironmentalDamage #Wildlife #PFASPollution #PFASContamnation #ManMadeDisasters #3M #3MLied #Scotchgard #Scotchban #BASF #Teflon #GenXChemicals #PFNA #PFHxS #Lubricants #Cosmetics #PFB #FireFightingFoam #DowChemical
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#MaineCDC recommends limiting fish consumption from 4 new bodies of water due to #PFAS contamination
Maine Public | By Nora Saks
Published June 30, 2025 at 5:27 PM EDT"The Maine Center for Disease Control is recommending that people limit consuming fish from four new bodies of water due to #PFASContamination.
"The new advisories apply to game fish caught in #LovejoyPond in #AlbionME, the #SebasticookRiver in #BurnhamME and #BentonCollyerBrook in #GrayME, and #AndroscogginLake in #LeedsME and #WayneME.
"The Maine CDC issued the new guidelines after elevated levels of PFAS, the group of man-made #ForeverChemicals, were detected in fish tissue sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection last year.
"In the recommendations updated last week, the Maine CDC also expanded its advisories on #AnnabessacookLake in #MonmouthME and #WinthropME, and #MessalonskeeStream in #OaklandME and #WatervilleME.
"These additions bring the total number of rivers, lakes and streams that have game fish contaminated with unsafe levels of PFAS to 25.
"For more details on the consumption limits on numbers and species of freshwater fish in each waterbody, check out the Maine CDC website."
Maine CDC website:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/eohp/fish/#EPACuts #WaterIsLife #Maine #Pollution #PFAS #PFOS #ForeverChemicals #EnvironmentalDamage #Wildlife #PFASPollution #PFASContamnation #ManMadeDisasters #3M #3MLied #Scotchgard #Scotchban #BASF #Teflon #GenXChemicals #PFNA #PFHxS #Lubricants #Cosmetics #PFB #FireFightingFoam #DowChemical
-
#MaineCDC recommends limiting fish consumption from 4 new bodies of water due to #PFAS contamination
Maine Public | By Nora Saks
Published June 30, 2025 at 5:27 PM EDT"The Maine Center for Disease Control is recommending that people limit consuming fish from four new bodies of water due to #PFASContamination.
"The new advisories apply to game fish caught in #LovejoyPond in #AlbionME, the #SebasticookRiver in #BurnhamME and #BentonCollyerBrook in #GrayME, and #AndroscogginLake in #LeedsME and #WayneME.
"The Maine CDC issued the new guidelines after elevated levels of PFAS, the group of man-made #ForeverChemicals, were detected in fish tissue sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection last year.
"In the recommendations updated last week, the Maine CDC also expanded its advisories on #AnnabessacookLake in #MonmouthME and #WinthropME, and #MessalonskeeStream in #OaklandME and #WatervilleME.
"These additions bring the total number of rivers, lakes and streams that have game fish contaminated with unsafe levels of PFAS to 25.
"For more details on the consumption limits on numbers and species of freshwater fish in each waterbody, check out the Maine CDC website."
Maine CDC website:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/eohp/fish/#EPACuts #WaterIsLife #Maine #Pollution #PFAS #PFOS #ForeverChemicals #EnvironmentalDamage #Wildlife #PFASPollution #PFASContamnation #ManMadeDisasters #3M #3MLied #Scotchgard #Scotchban #BASF #Teflon #GenXChemicals #PFNA #PFHxS #Lubricants #Cosmetics #PFB #FireFightingFoam #DowChemical
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So, a few months back, someone posted about using #biochar as an ingredient in seed starter. It seems biochar has a lot of potential good uses -- including #PFAS remediation!
"This project aims to investigate whether biochar can be used as a soil amendment to immobilize PFAS in the soil and reduce its bioaccumulation in the edible parts of vegetable crops, such as lettuce and tomatoes. The study will address several key questions: the optimal application rate of biochar in the soil, the frequency with which additional biochar should be applied after the initial amendment, and low-cost modification techniques to enhance biochar's ability to adsorb short-chain PFAS from the soil. This research will involve both laboratory and field studies. The findings will contribute to developing practical guidelines for farmers on the use of biochar in PFAS-affected soils."
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ag/pfas/pfas-fund-research.shtml
#Research #SoilRemediation #SoilHealth #PFASPollution #SolarPunkSunday
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Just proving that #Trump's administration is TOXIC!
Trump #EPA withdrawal of #PFAS effluent limits is setback for #PublicHealth, #EWG warns
WASHINGTON – "On Tuesday, the Trump Environmental Protection Agency withdrew a pending Biden administration plan that would have protected public health from the chemical manufacturing sector by setting discharge limits on the toxic '#ForeverChemicals' known as PFAS.
"The Trump administration pulled the proposal from White House review – the last step before the agency could release the plan publicly and seek comment on it. The decision is a significant setback for efforts to address the growing public health crisis caused by industrial PFAS pollution of the water supply.
"Coupled with President Donald Trump’s executive order placing a freeze on any new federal regulations, the withdrawal prompts significant concerns from environmental and public health advocates about the future of PFAS regulation and whether tackling the PFAS contamination crisis will be an administration priority.
The following is a statement from Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the #EnvironmentalWorkingGroup:
"Yesterday’s action by the Trump administration to withdraw the long-awaited proposal on PFAS effluent limits is a devastating setback in the fight to protect our communities from toxic 'forever chemicals.'
"This move not only delays establishing critical federal standards but also sends a dangerous message giving polluters a green light to continue poisoning our water and communities without fear of consequence.
"It’s an unconscionable betrayal of the public’s health in favor of corporate interests, and it underscores this administration’s troubling shift in policy which threatens to roll back any progress to protect our #environment and hold #polluters accountable.
"PFAS contamination is already a public health crisis. The science is clear: PFAS are toxic at even the smallest levels, and they have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, immune suppression and developmental harm. Communities across the country, especially those near PFAS-manufacturing facilities, have lived with the devastating consequences of this pollution for decades.
"State regulators have waited for the federal government to lead on this issue so they can incorporate effective monitoring and treatment requirements into their discharge permits. Without federal limits, those efforts remain stalled.
"The Trump administration’s refusal to act now puts even more lives at risk, leaving American communities to fend for themselves as polluters continue their unchecked discharges of toxic PFAS into our water."
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/statement/2025/01/trump-epa-withdrawal-pfas-effluent-limits-setback-public-health-ewg
#WaterIsLife #PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage #ManMadeDisasters #AFFF #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution
#FirefightingFoam #PFOS
#3M #ForeverChemicals #Environment #BigChemical #CorporateInterests #Corporatocracy #TrumptyDumpty #WhenIdiotsRule #USPol -
Meanwhile across the pond...
'Forever chemicals' used on Jersey's potato crops
Alex Green - BBC News
February 4, 2025"So-called #ForeverChemicals are present in at least four #AgriculturalSprays used in Jersey, including one used on #PotatoCrops, the island's environment minister has said.
"In the States Assembly, Deputy Steve Luce was quizzed on what actions, if any, were being implemented to reduce contamination by sprays containing PFAS in the island's water and environment.
"The minister was also asked to provide a timeline for 'achieving measurable progress' in addressing the issue.
"Luce said his initial discussions with the industry were focused on finding an alternative and stopping the use of such sprays 'as soon as possible'.
Health issues"PFAS, used in #FirefightingFoam, leaked into the area by the airport's fire training ground in the early 1990s.
"The chemicals, branded forever chemicals because they take a long time to break down, are found in a small quantity in most people's blood, and research is ongoing to determine if higher levels can lead to various health problems.
"After the foam was confirmed to be in #DrinkingWater in 1993, the island's government and the #airport, which it owns, stopped the use of the foam and offered to install new bore holes for affected residents.
"People living in the area believe the #ContaminatedWater damaged crops and caused a litany of ongoing serious health issues.
"The PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel, which makes recommendations, was set up by Public Health in May 2023.
"Members met islanders who participated in the blood-testing programme and, in a draft report, recommended therapeutic phlebotomy for those affected.
"Therapeutic phlebotomy is a procedure that involves removing some blood from the body to lower the concentration of PFAS.
"In September 2024, the advisory panel published a report outlining the impact PFAS exposure had on health.
"The panel found exposure to certain PFAS was associated with #ElevatedCholesterol levels, and said there was evidence suggesting a probable increase in kidney and testicular #cancers among those exposed to certain PFAS materials."
#ChannelIslands #JerseyUK #BalliwickOfJersey #PFASPollution #Farming #Potatoes
-
Notorious US #ChemicalPlant polluting water with toxic #PFAS, lawsuit claims
Complaint says #Chemours factory dramatized in Hollywood movie #DarkWaters continues to pollute #WestVirginia river
by Tom Perkins, January 27, 2025
"The chemical giant Chemours’s notorious West Virginia PFAS plant is regularly polluting nearby water with high levels of toxic 'forever chemicals', a new lawsuit alleges.
"It represents the latest salvo in a decades-old fight over pollution from the plant, called Washington Works, which continues despite public health advocates winning significant legal battles.
The new federal complaint claims #WashingtonWorks has been spitting out levels of PFAS waste significantly higher than what a discharge permit has allowed since 2023, which is contaminating the #OhioRiver in #ParkersburgWestVirginia, a town of about 50,000 people in #Appalachia.
"The factory was the focal point of a Hollywood movie, Dark Waters. It dramatized the story of how the pollution widely sickened Parkersburg residents, and the David v Goliath legal saga in which a group of residents and attorneys took on Chemours, then part of DuPont.
The findings ‘highlight the importance of careful scrutiny of novel chemicals’, said Irene Jacz, a study co-author and Iowa State economist."An epidemiological study stemming from the case blew the lid off of the health risks of PFAS, and ultimately cost #DuPont about $700m.
"Though the landmark case still reverberates across the regulatory landscape, the suit started almost 25 years ago, concluded in 2016, and Chemours’s pollution continues. The new lawsuit is part of other legal actions related to the facility that have filled the gap left by weak regulatory action, local advocates say. The never-ending struggle 'wears you out', added Joe Kiger, a Parkersburg resident who was one of the original litigants in 2001.
"'We have put up with this for 24 years, and [Chemours] is still polluting, they’re still putting this stuff in the water,' Kiger said.
"The new lawsuit, filed by the #WestVirginiaRiversCoalition, alleges 'numerous violations' since the level of PFAS the company is permitted to discharge per a consent order was lowered in early 2023. Among the contaminants are #PFOA, a PFAS chemical to which virtually no level of exposure in drinking water is safe, the #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency (#EPA) has found. It also includes #GenX, a compound for which the EPA has similarly found very low exposure levels can cause health problems.
"The EPA ordered Chemours to take corrective action, but the company has done nothing in response, and the agency has not taken further action, the suit states. The complaint does not mention drinking water, which is largely filtered. But the suit alleges the ongoing pollution prevents residents from using the river for recreation.
"In a statement, Chemours said the 'concerns are being addressed' through the consent order. It also noted it was renewing discharge permits with the state, and was working with regulators 'to navigate both the consent order and the permit renewal process'.
"'Chemours recognizes the Coalition as a community stakeholder and invites the Coalition to engage directly with the Washington Works team,' a spokesperson wrote.
"The EPA and West Virginia Rivers Coalition declined to comment because litigation is ongoing.
"Kiger and others who have taken on Chemours and DuPont railed against the company, accusing it of 'greed' and putting profits above residents’ health. Some in Parkersburg refer to the waste as the 'Devil's Piss'.
"'They do what they can to make money,' said Harry Deitzler, a West Virginia attorney who helped lead past lawsuits.
"'The officers in the corporation sometimes don’t care about what’s right and wrong – they need to make money for shareholders and the lawsuits make everyone play by the same rules.'
"Still, most residents are not aware of the ongoing pollution, those who spoke with the Guardian say. Chemours is a large employer that still wields power locally, and spends heavily on charitable giving. Many remain supportive of the company, regardless of the pollution, Kiger said.
"'That’s the kind of stuff you’re up against,' he added. 'People put a blind trust in them. It could be snowing out and Chemours would tell everyone it’s 80F [27C] and sunny, and everyone will grab their tan lotion.'
"The saga began in the late 1990s when the plant’s pollution was suspected of sickening nearby livestock, and an investigation by attorneys revealed the alarming levels at which PFAS was being discharged into the water and environment.
"A class action lawsuit yielded about $70m in damages for area residents in 2004, but the litigation did not prove DuPont’s PFAS pollution was behind a rash of #cancer, #KidneyDisease, stubbornly high cholesterol and other widespread health problems in the region.
"Instead of dividing the settlement up among tens of thousands of residents, which would have only provided each with several hundred dollars, the money went toward developing an epidemiological study with independent scientists to verify that widespread local health issues were caused by DuPont’s pollution.
"The move was a gamble that ultimately paid off – the study of about 70,000 people showed by 2012 that PFOA probably caused some forms of cancer, #ThyroidDisease, persistently #HighCholesterol, pregnancy-induced #hypertension and #autoimmune problems.
"Subsequent studies have shown links between the chemical and a host of other serious health problems – #BirthDefects, #neurotoxicity, kidney disease and #LiverDisease – that residents in the area suffered.
"DuPont and Chemours in 2017 settled for $671m in costs for about 3,500 injury suits, and have paid more to install water-filtration systems throughout the region. Separately, Chemours in 2023 settled with the state of #Ohio for $110m for pollution largely from Washington Works.
"The EPA and state regulatory agencies have at times been staffed with former DuPont managers or industry allies, and litigation has been the only way to get any meaningful movement, said Rob Bilott, the attorney who led the original class-action suit.
'"It’s infuriating,' Bilott said. 'It took decades of making DuPont documents and internal data public, and getting the story out through movies, news articles, books and public engagement, and that’s what finally pushed the needle here. This is the impact of citizens forcing it through decades of litigation.'
"The latest lawsuit is a citizen’s suit under the #CleanWaterAct. Such suits give citizens the power to ask a judge to enforce federal law when a polluter is violating it and regulators fail to act.
"The lawsuit asks a judge to order the company to pay $66,000 for each day it has been in violation, which is stipulated in the permit. That would total around $50m, but the main goal is to stop the pollution.
"The EPA has acknowledged Chemours is violating the law, but has 'taken no further enforcement action regarding Chemours’s violations as of the date of this complaint', the suit reads."
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/27/chemours-pfas-pollution-lawsuitArchived:
https://archive.ph/p3wA6
#Environment #PFASPollution #PollutionRunoff #WaterIsLife #DevilsPiss -
Notorious US #ChemicalPlant polluting water with toxic #PFAS, lawsuit claims
Complaint says #Chemours factory dramatized in Hollywood movie #DarkWaters continues to pollute #WestVirginia river
by Tom Perkins, January 27, 2025
"The chemical giant Chemours’s notorious West Virginia PFAS plant is regularly polluting nearby water with high levels of toxic 'forever chemicals', a new lawsuit alleges.
"It represents the latest salvo in a decades-old fight over pollution from the plant, called Washington Works, which continues despite public health advocates winning significant legal battles.
The new federal complaint claims #WashingtonWorks has been spitting out levels of PFAS waste significantly higher than what a discharge permit has allowed since 2023, which is contaminating the #OhioRiver in #ParkersburgWestVirginia, a town of about 50,000 people in #Appalachia.
"The factory was the focal point of a Hollywood movie, Dark Waters. It dramatized the story of how the pollution widely sickened Parkersburg residents, and the David v Goliath legal saga in which a group of residents and attorneys took on Chemours, then part of DuPont.
The findings ‘highlight the importance of careful scrutiny of novel chemicals’, said Irene Jacz, a study co-author and Iowa State economist."An epidemiological study stemming from the case blew the lid off of the health risks of PFAS, and ultimately cost #DuPont about $700m.
"Though the landmark case still reverberates across the regulatory landscape, the suit started almost 25 years ago, concluded in 2016, and Chemours’s pollution continues. The new lawsuit is part of other legal actions related to the facility that have filled the gap left by weak regulatory action, local advocates say. The never-ending struggle 'wears you out', added Joe Kiger, a Parkersburg resident who was one of the original litigants in 2001.
"'We have put up with this for 24 years, and [Chemours] is still polluting, they’re still putting this stuff in the water,' Kiger said.
"The new lawsuit, filed by the #WestVirginiaRiversCoalition, alleges 'numerous violations' since the level of PFAS the company is permitted to discharge per a consent order was lowered in early 2023. Among the contaminants are #PFOA, a PFAS chemical to which virtually no level of exposure in drinking water is safe, the #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency (#EPA) has found. It also includes #GenX, a compound for which the EPA has similarly found very low exposure levels can cause health problems.
"The EPA ordered Chemours to take corrective action, but the company has done nothing in response, and the agency has not taken further action, the suit states. The complaint does not mention drinking water, which is largely filtered. But the suit alleges the ongoing pollution prevents residents from using the river for recreation.
"In a statement, Chemours said the 'concerns are being addressed' through the consent order. It also noted it was renewing discharge permits with the state, and was working with regulators 'to navigate both the consent order and the permit renewal process'.
"'Chemours recognizes the Coalition as a community stakeholder and invites the Coalition to engage directly with the Washington Works team,' a spokesperson wrote.
"The EPA and West Virginia Rivers Coalition declined to comment because litigation is ongoing.
"Kiger and others who have taken on Chemours and DuPont railed against the company, accusing it of 'greed' and putting profits above residents’ health. Some in Parkersburg refer to the waste as the 'Devil's Piss'.
"'They do what they can to make money,' said Harry Deitzler, a West Virginia attorney who helped lead past lawsuits.
"'The officers in the corporation sometimes don’t care about what’s right and wrong – they need to make money for shareholders and the lawsuits make everyone play by the same rules.'
"Still, most residents are not aware of the ongoing pollution, those who spoke with the Guardian say. Chemours is a large employer that still wields power locally, and spends heavily on charitable giving. Many remain supportive of the company, regardless of the pollution, Kiger said.
"'That’s the kind of stuff you’re up against,' he added. 'People put a blind trust in them. It could be snowing out and Chemours would tell everyone it’s 80F [27C] and sunny, and everyone will grab their tan lotion.'
"The saga began in the late 1990s when the plant’s pollution was suspected of sickening nearby livestock, and an investigation by attorneys revealed the alarming levels at which PFAS was being discharged into the water and environment.
"A class action lawsuit yielded about $70m in damages for area residents in 2004, but the litigation did not prove DuPont’s PFAS pollution was behind a rash of #cancer, #KidneyDisease, stubbornly high cholesterol and other widespread health problems in the region.
"Instead of dividing the settlement up among tens of thousands of residents, which would have only provided each with several hundred dollars, the money went toward developing an epidemiological study with independent scientists to verify that widespread local health issues were caused by DuPont’s pollution.
"The move was a gamble that ultimately paid off – the study of about 70,000 people showed by 2012 that PFOA probably caused some forms of cancer, #ThyroidDisease, persistently #HighCholesterol, pregnancy-induced #hypertension and #autoimmune problems.
"Subsequent studies have shown links between the chemical and a host of other serious health problems – #BirthDefects, #neurotoxicity, kidney disease and #LiverDisease – that residents in the area suffered.
"DuPont and Chemours in 2017 settled for $671m in costs for about 3,500 injury suits, and have paid more to install water-filtration systems throughout the region. Separately, Chemours in 2023 settled with the state of #Ohio for $110m for pollution largely from Washington Works.
"The EPA and state regulatory agencies have at times been staffed with former DuPont managers or industry allies, and litigation has been the only way to get any meaningful movement, said Rob Bilott, the attorney who led the original class-action suit.
'"It’s infuriating,' Bilott said. 'It took decades of making DuPont documents and internal data public, and getting the story out through movies, news articles, books and public engagement, and that’s what finally pushed the needle here. This is the impact of citizens forcing it through decades of litigation.'
"The latest lawsuit is a citizen’s suit under the #CleanWaterAct. Such suits give citizens the power to ask a judge to enforce federal law when a polluter is violating it and regulators fail to act.
"The lawsuit asks a judge to order the company to pay $66,000 for each day it has been in violation, which is stipulated in the permit. That would total around $50m, but the main goal is to stop the pollution.
"The EPA has acknowledged Chemours is violating the law, but has 'taken no further enforcement action regarding Chemours’s violations as of the date of this complaint', the suit reads."
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/27/chemours-pfas-pollution-lawsuitArchived:
https://archive.ph/p3wA6
#Environment #PFASPollution #PollutionRunoff #WaterIsLife #DevilsPiss -
Notorious US #ChemicalPlant polluting water with toxic #PFAS, lawsuit claims
Complaint says #Chemours factory dramatized in Hollywood movie #DarkWaters continues to pollute #WestVirginia river
by Tom Perkins, January 27, 2025
"The chemical giant Chemours’s notorious West Virginia PFAS plant is regularly polluting nearby water with high levels of toxic 'forever chemicals', a new lawsuit alleges.
"It represents the latest salvo in a decades-old fight over pollution from the plant, called Washington Works, which continues despite public health advocates winning significant legal battles.
The new federal complaint claims #WashingtonWorks has been spitting out levels of PFAS waste significantly higher than what a discharge permit has allowed since 2023, which is contaminating the #OhioRiver in #ParkersburgWestVirginia, a town of about 50,000 people in #Appalachia.
"The factory was the focal point of a Hollywood movie, Dark Waters. It dramatized the story of how the pollution widely sickened Parkersburg residents, and the David v Goliath legal saga in which a group of residents and attorneys took on Chemours, then part of DuPont.
The findings ‘highlight the importance of careful scrutiny of novel chemicals’, said Irene Jacz, a study co-author and Iowa State economist."An epidemiological study stemming from the case blew the lid off of the health risks of PFAS, and ultimately cost #DuPont about $700m.
"Though the landmark case still reverberates across the regulatory landscape, the suit started almost 25 years ago, concluded in 2016, and Chemours’s pollution continues. The new lawsuit is part of other legal actions related to the facility that have filled the gap left by weak regulatory action, local advocates say. The never-ending struggle 'wears you out', added Joe Kiger, a Parkersburg resident who was one of the original litigants in 2001.
"'We have put up with this for 24 years, and [Chemours] is still polluting, they’re still putting this stuff in the water,' Kiger said.
"The new lawsuit, filed by the #WestVirginiaRiversCoalition, alleges 'numerous violations' since the level of PFAS the company is permitted to discharge per a consent order was lowered in early 2023. Among the contaminants are #PFOA, a PFAS chemical to which virtually no level of exposure in drinking water is safe, the #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency (#EPA) has found. It also includes #GenX, a compound for which the EPA has similarly found very low exposure levels can cause health problems.
"The EPA ordered Chemours to take corrective action, but the company has done nothing in response, and the agency has not taken further action, the suit states. The complaint does not mention drinking water, which is largely filtered. But the suit alleges the ongoing pollution prevents residents from using the river for recreation.
"In a statement, Chemours said the 'concerns are being addressed' through the consent order. It also noted it was renewing discharge permits with the state, and was working with regulators 'to navigate both the consent order and the permit renewal process'.
"'Chemours recognizes the Coalition as a community stakeholder and invites the Coalition to engage directly with the Washington Works team,' a spokesperson wrote.
"The EPA and West Virginia Rivers Coalition declined to comment because litigation is ongoing.
"Kiger and others who have taken on Chemours and DuPont railed against the company, accusing it of 'greed' and putting profits above residents’ health. Some in Parkersburg refer to the waste as the 'Devil's Piss'.
"'They do what they can to make money,' said Harry Deitzler, a West Virginia attorney who helped lead past lawsuits.
"'The officers in the corporation sometimes don’t care about what’s right and wrong – they need to make money for shareholders and the lawsuits make everyone play by the same rules.'
"Still, most residents are not aware of the ongoing pollution, those who spoke with the Guardian say. Chemours is a large employer that still wields power locally, and spends heavily on charitable giving. Many remain supportive of the company, regardless of the pollution, Kiger said.
"'That’s the kind of stuff you’re up against,' he added. 'People put a blind trust in them. It could be snowing out and Chemours would tell everyone it’s 80F [27C] and sunny, and everyone will grab their tan lotion.'
"The saga began in the late 1990s when the plant’s pollution was suspected of sickening nearby livestock, and an investigation by attorneys revealed the alarming levels at which PFAS was being discharged into the water and environment.
"A class action lawsuit yielded about $70m in damages for area residents in 2004, but the litigation did not prove DuPont’s PFAS pollution was behind a rash of #cancer, #KidneyDisease, stubbornly high cholesterol and other widespread health problems in the region.
"Instead of dividing the settlement up among tens of thousands of residents, which would have only provided each with several hundred dollars, the money went toward developing an epidemiological study with independent scientists to verify that widespread local health issues were caused by DuPont’s pollution.
"The move was a gamble that ultimately paid off – the study of about 70,000 people showed by 2012 that PFOA probably caused some forms of cancer, #ThyroidDisease, persistently #HighCholesterol, pregnancy-induced #hypertension and #autoimmune problems.
"Subsequent studies have shown links between the chemical and a host of other serious health problems – #BirthDefects, #neurotoxicity, kidney disease and #LiverDisease – that residents in the area suffered.
"DuPont and Chemours in 2017 settled for $671m in costs for about 3,500 injury suits, and have paid more to install water-filtration systems throughout the region. Separately, Chemours in 2023 settled with the state of #Ohio for $110m for pollution largely from Washington Works.
"The EPA and state regulatory agencies have at times been staffed with former DuPont managers or industry allies, and litigation has been the only way to get any meaningful movement, said Rob Bilott, the attorney who led the original class-action suit.
'"It’s infuriating,' Bilott said. 'It took decades of making DuPont documents and internal data public, and getting the story out through movies, news articles, books and public engagement, and that’s what finally pushed the needle here. This is the impact of citizens forcing it through decades of litigation.'
"The latest lawsuit is a citizen’s suit under the #CleanWaterAct. Such suits give citizens the power to ask a judge to enforce federal law when a polluter is violating it and regulators fail to act.
"The lawsuit asks a judge to order the company to pay $66,000 for each day it has been in violation, which is stipulated in the permit. That would total around $50m, but the main goal is to stop the pollution.
"The EPA has acknowledged Chemours is violating the law, but has 'taken no further enforcement action regarding Chemours’s violations as of the date of this complaint', the suit reads."
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/27/chemours-pfas-pollution-lawsuitArchived:
https://archive.ph/p3wA6
#Environment #PFASPollution #PollutionRunoff #WaterIsLife #DevilsPiss -
Notorious US #ChemicalPlant polluting water with toxic #PFAS, lawsuit claims
Complaint says #Chemours factory dramatized in Hollywood movie #DarkWaters continues to pollute #WestVirginia river
by Tom Perkins, January 27, 2025
"The chemical giant Chemours’s notorious West Virginia PFAS plant is regularly polluting nearby water with high levels of toxic 'forever chemicals', a new lawsuit alleges.
"It represents the latest salvo in a decades-old fight over pollution from the plant, called Washington Works, which continues despite public health advocates winning significant legal battles.
The new federal complaint claims #WashingtonWorks has been spitting out levels of PFAS waste significantly higher than what a discharge permit has allowed since 2023, which is contaminating the #OhioRiver in #ParkersburgWestVirginia, a town of about 50,000 people in #Appalachia.
"The factory was the focal point of a Hollywood movie, Dark Waters. It dramatized the story of how the pollution widely sickened Parkersburg residents, and the David v Goliath legal saga in which a group of residents and attorneys took on Chemours, then part of DuPont.
The findings ‘highlight the importance of careful scrutiny of novel chemicals’, said Irene Jacz, a study co-author and Iowa State economist."An epidemiological study stemming from the case blew the lid off of the health risks of PFAS, and ultimately cost #DuPont about $700m.
"Though the landmark case still reverberates across the regulatory landscape, the suit started almost 25 years ago, concluded in 2016, and Chemours’s pollution continues. The new lawsuit is part of other legal actions related to the facility that have filled the gap left by weak regulatory action, local advocates say. The never-ending struggle 'wears you out', added Joe Kiger, a Parkersburg resident who was one of the original litigants in 2001.
"'We have put up with this for 24 years, and [Chemours] is still polluting, they’re still putting this stuff in the water,' Kiger said.
"The new lawsuit, filed by the #WestVirginiaRiversCoalition, alleges 'numerous violations' since the level of PFAS the company is permitted to discharge per a consent order was lowered in early 2023. Among the contaminants are #PFOA, a PFAS chemical to which virtually no level of exposure in drinking water is safe, the #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency (#EPA) has found. It also includes #GenX, a compound for which the EPA has similarly found very low exposure levels can cause health problems.
"The EPA ordered Chemours to take corrective action, but the company has done nothing in response, and the agency has not taken further action, the suit states. The complaint does not mention drinking water, which is largely filtered. But the suit alleges the ongoing pollution prevents residents from using the river for recreation.
"In a statement, Chemours said the 'concerns are being addressed' through the consent order. It also noted it was renewing discharge permits with the state, and was working with regulators 'to navigate both the consent order and the permit renewal process'.
"'Chemours recognizes the Coalition as a community stakeholder and invites the Coalition to engage directly with the Washington Works team,' a spokesperson wrote.
"The EPA and West Virginia Rivers Coalition declined to comment because litigation is ongoing.
"Kiger and others who have taken on Chemours and DuPont railed against the company, accusing it of 'greed' and putting profits above residents’ health. Some in Parkersburg refer to the waste as the 'Devil's Piss'.
"'They do what they can to make money,' said Harry Deitzler, a West Virginia attorney who helped lead past lawsuits.
"'The officers in the corporation sometimes don’t care about what’s right and wrong – they need to make money for shareholders and the lawsuits make everyone play by the same rules.'
"Still, most residents are not aware of the ongoing pollution, those who spoke with the Guardian say. Chemours is a large employer that still wields power locally, and spends heavily on charitable giving. Many remain supportive of the company, regardless of the pollution, Kiger said.
"'That’s the kind of stuff you’re up against,' he added. 'People put a blind trust in them. It could be snowing out and Chemours would tell everyone it’s 80F [27C] and sunny, and everyone will grab their tan lotion.'
"The saga began in the late 1990s when the plant’s pollution was suspected of sickening nearby livestock, and an investigation by attorneys revealed the alarming levels at which PFAS was being discharged into the water and environment.
"A class action lawsuit yielded about $70m in damages for area residents in 2004, but the litigation did not prove DuPont’s PFAS pollution was behind a rash of #cancer, #KidneyDisease, stubbornly high cholesterol and other widespread health problems in the region.
"Instead of dividing the settlement up among tens of thousands of residents, which would have only provided each with several hundred dollars, the money went toward developing an epidemiological study with independent scientists to verify that widespread local health issues were caused by DuPont’s pollution.
"The move was a gamble that ultimately paid off – the study of about 70,000 people showed by 2012 that PFOA probably caused some forms of cancer, #ThyroidDisease, persistently #HighCholesterol, pregnancy-induced #hypertension and #autoimmune problems.
"Subsequent studies have shown links between the chemical and a host of other serious health problems – #BirthDefects, #neurotoxicity, kidney disease and #LiverDisease – that residents in the area suffered.
"DuPont and Chemours in 2017 settled for $671m in costs for about 3,500 injury suits, and have paid more to install water-filtration systems throughout the region. Separately, Chemours in 2023 settled with the state of #Ohio for $110m for pollution largely from Washington Works.
"The EPA and state regulatory agencies have at times been staffed with former DuPont managers or industry allies, and litigation has been the only way to get any meaningful movement, said Rob Bilott, the attorney who led the original class-action suit.
'"It’s infuriating,' Bilott said. 'It took decades of making DuPont documents and internal data public, and getting the story out through movies, news articles, books and public engagement, and that’s what finally pushed the needle here. This is the impact of citizens forcing it through decades of litigation.'
"The latest lawsuit is a citizen’s suit under the #CleanWaterAct. Such suits give citizens the power to ask a judge to enforce federal law when a polluter is violating it and regulators fail to act.
"The lawsuit asks a judge to order the company to pay $66,000 for each day it has been in violation, which is stipulated in the permit. That would total around $50m, but the main goal is to stop the pollution.
"The EPA has acknowledged Chemours is violating the law, but has 'taken no further enforcement action regarding Chemours’s violations as of the date of this complaint', the suit reads."
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/27/chemours-pfas-pollution-lawsuitArchived:
https://archive.ph/p3wA6
#Environment #PFASPollution #PollutionRunoff #WaterIsLife #DevilsPiss -
Notorious US #ChemicalPlant polluting water with toxic #PFAS, lawsuit claims
Complaint says #Chemours factory dramatized in Hollywood movie #DarkWaters continues to pollute #WestVirginia river
by Tom Perkins, January 27, 2025
"The chemical giant Chemours’s notorious West Virginia PFAS plant is regularly polluting nearby water with high levels of toxic 'forever chemicals', a new lawsuit alleges.
"It represents the latest salvo in a decades-old fight over pollution from the plant, called Washington Works, which continues despite public health advocates winning significant legal battles.
The new federal complaint claims #WashingtonWorks has been spitting out levels of PFAS waste significantly higher than what a discharge permit has allowed since 2023, which is contaminating the #OhioRiver in #ParkersburgWestVirginia, a town of about 50,000 people in #Appalachia.
"The factory was the focal point of a Hollywood movie, Dark Waters. It dramatized the story of how the pollution widely sickened Parkersburg residents, and the David v Goliath legal saga in which a group of residents and attorneys took on Chemours, then part of DuPont.
The findings ‘highlight the importance of careful scrutiny of novel chemicals’, said Irene Jacz, a study co-author and Iowa State economist."An epidemiological study stemming from the case blew the lid off of the health risks of PFAS, and ultimately cost #DuPont about $700m.
"Though the landmark case still reverberates across the regulatory landscape, the suit started almost 25 years ago, concluded in 2016, and Chemours’s pollution continues. The new lawsuit is part of other legal actions related to the facility that have filled the gap left by weak regulatory action, local advocates say. The never-ending struggle 'wears you out', added Joe Kiger, a Parkersburg resident who was one of the original litigants in 2001.
"'We have put up with this for 24 years, and [Chemours] is still polluting, they’re still putting this stuff in the water,' Kiger said.
"The new lawsuit, filed by the #WestVirginiaRiversCoalition, alleges 'numerous violations' since the level of PFAS the company is permitted to discharge per a consent order was lowered in early 2023. Among the contaminants are #PFOA, a PFAS chemical to which virtually no level of exposure in drinking water is safe, the #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency (#EPA) has found. It also includes #GenX, a compound for which the EPA has similarly found very low exposure levels can cause health problems.
"The EPA ordered Chemours to take corrective action, but the company has done nothing in response, and the agency has not taken further action, the suit states. The complaint does not mention drinking water, which is largely filtered. But the suit alleges the ongoing pollution prevents residents from using the river for recreation.
"In a statement, Chemours said the 'concerns are being addressed' through the consent order. It also noted it was renewing discharge permits with the state, and was working with regulators 'to navigate both the consent order and the permit renewal process'.
"'Chemours recognizes the Coalition as a community stakeholder and invites the Coalition to engage directly with the Washington Works team,' a spokesperson wrote.
"The EPA and West Virginia Rivers Coalition declined to comment because litigation is ongoing.
"Kiger and others who have taken on Chemours and DuPont railed against the company, accusing it of 'greed' and putting profits above residents’ health. Some in Parkersburg refer to the waste as the 'Devil's Piss'.
"'They do what they can to make money,' said Harry Deitzler, a West Virginia attorney who helped lead past lawsuits.
"'The officers in the corporation sometimes don’t care about what’s right and wrong – they need to make money for shareholders and the lawsuits make everyone play by the same rules.'
"Still, most residents are not aware of the ongoing pollution, those who spoke with the Guardian say. Chemours is a large employer that still wields power locally, and spends heavily on charitable giving. Many remain supportive of the company, regardless of the pollution, Kiger said.
"'That’s the kind of stuff you’re up against,' he added. 'People put a blind trust in them. It could be snowing out and Chemours would tell everyone it’s 80F [27C] and sunny, and everyone will grab their tan lotion.'
"The saga began in the late 1990s when the plant’s pollution was suspected of sickening nearby livestock, and an investigation by attorneys revealed the alarming levels at which PFAS was being discharged into the water and environment.
"A class action lawsuit yielded about $70m in damages for area residents in 2004, but the litigation did not prove DuPont’s PFAS pollution was behind a rash of #cancer, #KidneyDisease, stubbornly high cholesterol and other widespread health problems in the region.
"Instead of dividing the settlement up among tens of thousands of residents, which would have only provided each with several hundred dollars, the money went toward developing an epidemiological study with independent scientists to verify that widespread local health issues were caused by DuPont’s pollution.
"The move was a gamble that ultimately paid off – the study of about 70,000 people showed by 2012 that PFOA probably caused some forms of cancer, #ThyroidDisease, persistently #HighCholesterol, pregnancy-induced #hypertension and #autoimmune problems.
"Subsequent studies have shown links between the chemical and a host of other serious health problems – #BirthDefects, #neurotoxicity, kidney disease and #LiverDisease – that residents in the area suffered.
"DuPont and Chemours in 2017 settled for $671m in costs for about 3,500 injury suits, and have paid more to install water-filtration systems throughout the region. Separately, Chemours in 2023 settled with the state of #Ohio for $110m for pollution largely from Washington Works.
"The EPA and state regulatory agencies have at times been staffed with former DuPont managers or industry allies, and litigation has been the only way to get any meaningful movement, said Rob Bilott, the attorney who led the original class-action suit.
'"It’s infuriating,' Bilott said. 'It took decades of making DuPont documents and internal data public, and getting the story out through movies, news articles, books and public engagement, and that’s what finally pushed the needle here. This is the impact of citizens forcing it through decades of litigation.'
"The latest lawsuit is a citizen’s suit under the #CleanWaterAct. Such suits give citizens the power to ask a judge to enforce federal law when a polluter is violating it and regulators fail to act.
"The lawsuit asks a judge to order the company to pay $66,000 for each day it has been in violation, which is stipulated in the permit. That would total around $50m, but the main goal is to stop the pollution.
"The EPA has acknowledged Chemours is violating the law, but has 'taken no further enforcement action regarding Chemours’s violations as of the date of this complaint', the suit reads."
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/27/chemours-pfas-pollution-lawsuitArchived:
https://archive.ph/p3wA6
#Environment #PFASPollution #PollutionRunoff #WaterIsLife #DevilsPiss -
#Maine lawmakers introduce bill to create response program for #PFAS threats
February 6, 2025
AUGUSTA (WGME) – "State lawmakers have introduced a bill to create a response program to clean up and reduce threats created by dangerous chemicals known as PFAS.
"This comes months after toxic and potentially #cancer-causing #FirefightingFoam was accidentally sprayed at a former air base in #BrunswickMaine.
"While this bill would monitor PFAS levels, one Brunswick lawmaker says she and others are working on additional bills related to the fallout from that spill.
"'And we’re continuing to advocate for funding, whether it’s through the state budget or leaning on our federal partners, since that substance was put in by the Navy,' Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) said. 'Because one thing I stand firm to is my constituents, myself, my neighbors, the taxpayers of Brunswick and Maine should not be on the hook for a disaster they did not cause.'
"This bill would allow the state to buy, sell or transfer property contaminated by PFAS and deposit the proceeds into a fund to deal with contamination."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/maine-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-create-response-program-for-pfas-threats/ar-AA1yz81L
#WaterIsLife #CascoBay
#PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage
#ManMadeDisasters #AFFF
#PicnicPond #Site8Stream
#MereBrook #MerriconeagStream
#HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation
#BrunswickStation #Maine #AndroscogginRiver -
#Maine lawmakers introduce bill to create response program for #PFAS threats
February 6, 2025
AUGUSTA (WGME) – "State lawmakers have introduced a bill to create a response program to clean up and reduce threats created by dangerous chemicals known as PFAS.
"This comes months after toxic and potentially #cancer-causing #FirefightingFoam was accidentally sprayed at a former air base in #BrunswickMaine.
"While this bill would monitor PFAS levels, one Brunswick lawmaker says she and others are working on additional bills related to the fallout from that spill.
"'And we’re continuing to advocate for funding, whether it’s through the state budget or leaning on our federal partners, since that substance was put in by the Navy,' Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) said. 'Because one thing I stand firm to is my constituents, myself, my neighbors, the taxpayers of Brunswick and Maine should not be on the hook for a disaster they did not cause.'
"This bill would allow the state to buy, sell or transfer property contaminated by PFAS and deposit the proceeds into a fund to deal with contamination."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/maine-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-create-response-program-for-pfas-threats/ar-AA1yz81L
#WaterIsLife #CascoBay
#PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage
#ManMadeDisasters #AFFF
#PicnicPond #Site8Stream
#MereBrook #MerriconeagStream
#HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation
#BrunswickStation #Maine #AndroscogginRiver -
#Maine lawmakers introduce bill to create response program for #PFAS threats
February 6, 2025
AUGUSTA (WGME) – "State lawmakers have introduced a bill to create a response program to clean up and reduce threats created by dangerous chemicals known as PFAS.
"This comes months after toxic and potentially #cancer-causing #FirefightingFoam was accidentally sprayed at a former air base in #BrunswickMaine.
"While this bill would monitor PFAS levels, one Brunswick lawmaker says she and others are working on additional bills related to the fallout from that spill.
"'And we’re continuing to advocate for funding, whether it’s through the state budget or leaning on our federal partners, since that substance was put in by the Navy,' Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) said. 'Because one thing I stand firm to is my constituents, myself, my neighbors, the taxpayers of Brunswick and Maine should not be on the hook for a disaster they did not cause.'
"This bill would allow the state to buy, sell or transfer property contaminated by PFAS and deposit the proceeds into a fund to deal with contamination."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/maine-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-create-response-program-for-pfas-threats/ar-AA1yz81L
#WaterIsLife #CascoBay
#PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage
#ManMadeDisasters #AFFF
#PicnicPond #Site8Stream
#MereBrook #MerriconeagStream
#HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation
#BrunswickStation #Maine #AndroscogginRiver -
#Maine lawmakers introduce bill to create response program for #PFAS threats
February 6, 2025
AUGUSTA (WGME) – "State lawmakers have introduced a bill to create a response program to clean up and reduce threats created by dangerous chemicals known as PFAS.
"This comes months after toxic and potentially #cancer-causing #FirefightingFoam was accidentally sprayed at a former air base in #BrunswickMaine.
"While this bill would monitor PFAS levels, one Brunswick lawmaker says she and others are working on additional bills related to the fallout from that spill.
"'And we’re continuing to advocate for funding, whether it’s through the state budget or leaning on our federal partners, since that substance was put in by the Navy,' Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) said. 'Because one thing I stand firm to is my constituents, myself, my neighbors, the taxpayers of Brunswick and Maine should not be on the hook for a disaster they did not cause.'
"This bill would allow the state to buy, sell or transfer property contaminated by PFAS and deposit the proceeds into a fund to deal with contamination."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/maine-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-create-response-program-for-pfas-threats/ar-AA1yz81L
#WaterIsLife #CascoBay
#PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage
#ManMadeDisasters #AFFF
#PicnicPond #Site8Stream
#MereBrook #MerriconeagStream
#HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation
#BrunswickStation #Maine #AndroscogginRiver -
#Maine lawmakers introduce bill to create response program for #PFAS threats
February 6, 2025
AUGUSTA (WGME) – "State lawmakers have introduced a bill to create a response program to clean up and reduce threats created by dangerous chemicals known as PFAS.
"This comes months after toxic and potentially #cancer-causing #FirefightingFoam was accidentally sprayed at a former air base in #BrunswickMaine.
"While this bill would monitor PFAS levels, one Brunswick lawmaker says she and others are working on additional bills related to the fallout from that spill.
"'And we’re continuing to advocate for funding, whether it’s through the state budget or leaning on our federal partners, since that substance was put in by the Navy,' Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) said. 'Because one thing I stand firm to is my constituents, myself, my neighbors, the taxpayers of Brunswick and Maine should not be on the hook for a disaster they did not cause.'
"This bill would allow the state to buy, sell or transfer property contaminated by PFAS and deposit the proceeds into a fund to deal with contamination."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/maine-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-create-response-program-for-pfas-threats/ar-AA1yz81L
#WaterIsLife #CascoBay
#PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage
#ManMadeDisasters #AFFF
#PicnicPond #Site8Stream
#MereBrook #MerriconeagStream
#HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation
#BrunswickStation #Maine #AndroscogginRiver -
High levels of #ToxicChemicals found in #BrunswickMaine airport hangar #sewers
#CitizenPFAS monitoring revealed concerning levels of toxic chemicals in the sewer outfall of #Hangar6 in Brunswick, though a company hired to assess risk at the hangar said there is no leak of the toxic firefighting foams on the premises.
by Kristian Moravec, The Times Record
Posted February 4, 2025, Updated February 5"A citizens group’s testing revealed that sewer water flowing from Hangar 6 at Brunswick’s airport has high levels of harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.
"#FriendsOfMerrymeetingBay conducted testing on Nov. 26. The tests detected high levels of a particularly toxic #PFAS chemical compound known as #PFOS. The update comes the same day the owner of the hangar, the #MidcoastRegionalRedevelopmentAuthority, sent a letter to the town stating that tanks that stored the chemicals were not leaking."PFOS is a compound known to be harmful to human health and is found in high levels in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Brunswick Executive Airport’s Hangar 4, which is owned by the Navy but operated by MRRA, dumped 1,450 gallons of AFFF concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water on Aug. 19, 2024.
"The spill prompted ongoing cleanup and monitoring efforts as well as a push to get rid of the foam at the airport. Concern has grown around Hangar 6, which some have speculated is leaking harmful chemicals based on the testing data around the airport that Friends of Merrymeeting Bay has collected over the years. The sewage that flows out of Hangar 6, which is not treated for PFAS, ultimately flows into the #AndroscogginRiver."
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/02/04/high-levels-of-toxic-chemicals-found-in-brunswick-airport-hangar-sewers/Archived version:
https://archive.md/LlHx1#CitizenScience #WaterIsLife #CascoBay #PFASContamination #BrunswickMaine #EnvironmentalDamage #ManMadeDisasters #WaterIsLife #PFAS #AndroscogginRiver #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS #PicnicPond #Site8Stream #MereBrook #MerriconeagStream #CascoBay #HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation #BrunswickStation #Maine #FirefightingFoam #OceansAreLife
-
High levels of #ToxicChemicals found in #BrunswickMaine airport hangar #sewers
#CitizenPFAS monitoring revealed concerning levels of toxic chemicals in the sewer outfall of #Hangar6 in Brunswick, though a company hired to assess risk at the hangar said there is no leak of the toxic firefighting foams on the premises.
by Kristian Moravec, The Times Record
Posted February 4, 2025, Updated February 5"A citizens group’s testing revealed that sewer water flowing from Hangar 6 at Brunswick’s airport has high levels of harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.
"#FriendsOfMerrymeetingBay conducted testing on Nov. 26. The tests detected high levels of a particularly toxic #PFAS chemical compound known as #PFOS. The update comes the same day the owner of the hangar, the #MidcoastRegionalRedevelopmentAuthority, sent a letter to the town stating that tanks that stored the chemicals were not leaking."PFOS is a compound known to be harmful to human health and is found in high levels in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Brunswick Executive Airport’s Hangar 4, which is owned by the Navy but operated by MRRA, dumped 1,450 gallons of AFFF concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water on Aug. 19, 2024.
"The spill prompted ongoing cleanup and monitoring efforts as well as a push to get rid of the foam at the airport. Concern has grown around Hangar 6, which some have speculated is leaking harmful chemicals based on the testing data around the airport that Friends of Merrymeeting Bay has collected over the years. The sewage that flows out of Hangar 6, which is not treated for PFAS, ultimately flows into the #AndroscogginRiver."
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/02/04/high-levels-of-toxic-chemicals-found-in-brunswick-airport-hangar-sewers/Archived version:
https://archive.md/LlHx1#CitizenScience #WaterIsLife #CascoBay #PFASContamination #BrunswickMaine #EnvironmentalDamage #ManMadeDisasters #WaterIsLife #PFAS #AndroscogginRiver #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS #PicnicPond #Site8Stream #MereBrook #MerriconeagStream #CascoBay #HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation #BrunswickStation #Maine #FirefightingFoam #OceansAreLife
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High levels of #ToxicChemicals found in #BrunswickMaine airport hangar #sewers
#CitizenPFAS monitoring revealed concerning levels of toxic chemicals in the sewer outfall of #Hangar6 in Brunswick, though a company hired to assess risk at the hangar said there is no leak of the toxic firefighting foams on the premises.
by Kristian Moravec, The Times Record
Posted February 4, 2025, Updated February 5"A citizens group’s testing revealed that sewer water flowing from Hangar 6 at Brunswick’s airport has high levels of harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.
"#FriendsOfMerrymeetingBay conducted testing on Nov. 26. The tests detected high levels of a particularly toxic #PFAS chemical compound known as #PFOS. The update comes the same day the owner of the hangar, the #MidcoastRegionalRedevelopmentAuthority, sent a letter to the town stating that tanks that stored the chemicals were not leaking."PFOS is a compound known to be harmful to human health and is found in high levels in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Brunswick Executive Airport’s Hangar 4, which is owned by the Navy but operated by MRRA, dumped 1,450 gallons of AFFF concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water on Aug. 19, 2024.
"The spill prompted ongoing cleanup and monitoring efforts as well as a push to get rid of the foam at the airport. Concern has grown around Hangar 6, which some have speculated is leaking harmful chemicals based on the testing data around the airport that Friends of Merrymeeting Bay has collected over the years. The sewage that flows out of Hangar 6, which is not treated for PFAS, ultimately flows into the #AndroscogginRiver."
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/02/04/high-levels-of-toxic-chemicals-found-in-brunswick-airport-hangar-sewers/Archived version:
https://archive.md/LlHx1#CitizenScience #WaterIsLife #CascoBay #PFASContamination #BrunswickMaine #EnvironmentalDamage #ManMadeDisasters #WaterIsLife #PFAS #AndroscogginRiver #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS #PicnicPond #Site8Stream #MereBrook #MerriconeagStream #CascoBay #HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation #BrunswickStation #Maine #FirefightingFoam #OceansAreLife
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High levels of #ToxicChemicals found in #BrunswickMaine airport hangar #sewers
#CitizenPFAS monitoring revealed concerning levels of toxic chemicals in the sewer outfall of #Hangar6 in Brunswick, though a company hired to assess risk at the hangar said there is no leak of the toxic firefighting foams on the premises.
by Kristian Moravec, The Times Record
Posted February 4, 2025, Updated February 5"A citizens group’s testing revealed that sewer water flowing from Hangar 6 at Brunswick’s airport has high levels of harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.
"#FriendsOfMerrymeetingBay conducted testing on Nov. 26. The tests detected high levels of a particularly toxic #PFAS chemical compound known as #PFOS. The update comes the same day the owner of the hangar, the #MidcoastRegionalRedevelopmentAuthority, sent a letter to the town stating that tanks that stored the chemicals were not leaking."PFOS is a compound known to be harmful to human health and is found in high levels in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Brunswick Executive Airport’s Hangar 4, which is owned by the Navy but operated by MRRA, dumped 1,450 gallons of AFFF concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water on Aug. 19, 2024.
"The spill prompted ongoing cleanup and monitoring efforts as well as a push to get rid of the foam at the airport. Concern has grown around Hangar 6, which some have speculated is leaking harmful chemicals based on the testing data around the airport that Friends of Merrymeeting Bay has collected over the years. The sewage that flows out of Hangar 6, which is not treated for PFAS, ultimately flows into the #AndroscogginRiver."
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/02/04/high-levels-of-toxic-chemicals-found-in-brunswick-airport-hangar-sewers/Archived version:
https://archive.md/LlHx1#CitizenScience #WaterIsLife #CascoBay #PFASContamination #BrunswickMaine #EnvironmentalDamage #ManMadeDisasters #WaterIsLife #PFAS #AndroscogginRiver #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS #PicnicPond #Site8Stream #MereBrook #MerriconeagStream #CascoBay #HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation #BrunswickStation #Maine #FirefightingFoam #OceansAreLife
-
High levels of #ToxicChemicals found in #BrunswickMaine airport hangar #sewers
#CitizenPFAS monitoring revealed concerning levels of toxic chemicals in the sewer outfall of #Hangar6 in Brunswick, though a company hired to assess risk at the hangar said there is no leak of the toxic firefighting foams on the premises.
by Kristian Moravec, The Times Record
Posted February 4, 2025, Updated February 5"A citizens group’s testing revealed that sewer water flowing from Hangar 6 at Brunswick’s airport has high levels of harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.
"#FriendsOfMerrymeetingBay conducted testing on Nov. 26. The tests detected high levels of a particularly toxic #PFAS chemical compound known as #PFOS. The update comes the same day the owner of the hangar, the #MidcoastRegionalRedevelopmentAuthority, sent a letter to the town stating that tanks that stored the chemicals were not leaking."PFOS is a compound known to be harmful to human health and is found in high levels in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Brunswick Executive Airport’s Hangar 4, which is owned by the Navy but operated by MRRA, dumped 1,450 gallons of AFFF concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water on Aug. 19, 2024.
"The spill prompted ongoing cleanup and monitoring efforts as well as a push to get rid of the foam at the airport. Concern has grown around Hangar 6, which some have speculated is leaking harmful chemicals based on the testing data around the airport that Friends of Merrymeeting Bay has collected over the years. The sewage that flows out of Hangar 6, which is not treated for PFAS, ultimately flows into the #AndroscogginRiver."
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/02/04/high-levels-of-toxic-chemicals-found-in-brunswick-airport-hangar-sewers/Archived version:
https://archive.md/LlHx1#CitizenScience #WaterIsLife #CascoBay #PFASContamination #BrunswickMaine #EnvironmentalDamage #ManMadeDisasters #WaterIsLife #PFAS #AndroscogginRiver #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS #PicnicPond #Site8Stream #MereBrook #MerriconeagStream #CascoBay #HarpswellCove #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation #BrunswickStation #Maine #FirefightingFoam #OceansAreLife
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Um, all this concern about humans eating wild animals contaminated with #PFAS? How about concern that WILD ANIMALS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH PFAS!
'Do not eat' advisory issued for wildlife harvested in parts of #Kennebec, #Waldo counties
by Ariana St Pierre, WGME
Fri, October 25th 2024 at 6:47 AM"The #Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife tested wildlife throughout the #Unity, #UnityTownship, #Thorndike, and #Albion area." [Lots of working farms in that area too!]
#ForeverChemicals #Maine #PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #PFAS #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS
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Um, all this concern about humans eating wild animals contaminated with #PFAS? How about concern that WILD ANIMALS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH PFAS!
'Do not eat' advisory issued for wildlife harvested in parts of #Kennebec, #Waldo counties
by Ariana St Pierre, WGME
Fri, October 25th 2024 at 6:47 AM"The #Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife tested wildlife throughout the #Unity, #UnityTownship, #Thorndike, and #Albion area." [Lots of working farms in that area too!]
#ForeverChemicals #Maine #PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #PFAS #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS
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Um, all this concern about humans eating wild animals contaminated with #PFAS? How about concern that WILD ANIMALS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH PFAS!
'Do not eat' advisory issued for wildlife harvested in parts of #Kennebec, #Waldo counties
by Ariana St Pierre, WGME
Fri, October 25th 2024 at 6:47 AM"The #Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife tested wildlife throughout the #Unity, #UnityTownship, #Thorndike, and #Albion area." [Lots of working farms in that area too!]
#ForeverChemicals #Maine #PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #PFAS #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS