PFAS Forever Chemicals Can Be Absorbed Through the Skin

AUSTIN, Texas - Sept. 11, 2024 - PRLog -- New Concerns that PFAS "Forever Chemicals" Could be Absorbed Through the Skin

The so-called "forever chemicals" – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (collectively known as PFAS) – have been in the news a lot this year, with the EPA instituting many new initiatives designed to protect the nation's drinking water from PFAS contamination:

The first initiative is a new EPA drinking water standard, which went into effect in April 2024 and will limit certain PFAS chemicals in potable water. The EPA also proposed adding 6 additional PFAS chemicals to the drinking water standards. In concert with the new rules, the EPA announced it will fund $1 billion in new testing and treatment programs for public water systems and private wells, as part of the $2 billion allocated for environmental cleanup in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

At the same time, the EPA officially designated two common PFAS chemicals – PFOA and PFOS – as hazardous substances under the Superfund Act, officially known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERLA). This designation will help advance the cleanup of PFOA and PFOS contamination across the nation. In February 2024, the EPA also added nine PFAS chemicals to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) list of chemicals of concern.

The EPA and General Services Administration also announced in April 2024 that federal contractors and agencies will need to purchase/use cleaning products certified free of PFAS chemicals.

In June 2023, the EPA created rules requiring that any new uses of PFAS chemicals be reviewed before sales under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
The EPA also established the largest-ever PFAS manufacturing inventory dataset in October 2023. This will affect all manufacturers and importers of PFAS-containing products made since 2011.

In January 2024, the EPA mandated that any release of one of seven different PFAS chemicals will need to be reported under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report. Additionally, the EPA curtailed the production of 329 different PFAS chemicals that have not had a recent EPA review.

While these new regulations and initiatives could go a long way to reduce human exposure to PFAS chemicals in drinking water, the story does not end there.

Unfortunately, laboratory scientists are finding that exposure to PFAS "forever chemicals" might be more extensive than first thought.

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