Toxic "Forever Chemicals" in Seafood

 A recent study determined New Englanders' exposure to PFAS in seafood.  I commented in the press about this new study, and was quoted as saying that people could reduce their consumption of highly-contaminated seafood such as shrimp and lobster.   But we should also point out the reasons why these chemicals are contaminating our seafood and drinking water in the first place.  It is yet again another case in which human and environmental health are sacrificed to corporate profits. 

Here are some additional things you should know about PFAS:

• PFAS are a group of synthetic toxic chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment and have been found in a wide range of consumer products. They are often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they can take hundreds or thousands of years to break down.
  
• These chemicals are added to non-stick cookware, food packaging like fast food wrappers, popcorn bags, personal care products like some cosmetics and shampoos, dental floss, stain-resistant textiles, waterproof apparel, and others.
• Studies have linked PFAS exposure to a variety of health issues, including high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney and liver disease, pregnancy-induced hypertension, reduced immune response to vaccines.
• Chemical companies were aware of the potential health risks of PFAS as early as the 1960s and 1970s, but continued to manufacture and promote use the chemicals anyway.
• In the 1970s and 1980s, the companies' own animal studies showed alarming effects like increased liver and kidney weight in laboratory rats, and eye and developmental issues in offspring of exposed pregnant rats. They also observed higher rates of abnormal liver function in their own workers!
• Despite this internal evidence of toxicity, the companies did not publicly disclose these findings for decades. It was not until lawsuits in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the extent of the companies' knowledge became public.
• The chemical industry knowingly released and promoted PFAS chemicals that they knew to be toxic, prioritizing profits over public health. This delayed regulation and action to address the widespread PFAS contamination. [1]
• The EPA is finally attempting to do something about this, announcing new regulation just last week that will aim to regulate six types of PFAS in drinking water.[2]
  

Citations:
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/16/magazine/pfas-toxic-chemicals.html
[2] https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas