Forever Chemicals
By: Sneha Gummadi
Forever chemicals are chemicals that have long half-lives, meaning that take many years or decades to break down in the natural environment. These chemicals are synthetic, meaning that they are made in factories and laboratories by humans. The moment they are introduced to environments, they do not leave quickly and cause harm in the process to animals, including humans. They contaminate the environment and are taken up by a large variety of organisms. The two most discussed forever chemicals are PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid/C8) and PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid).
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| Forever Chemicals washing up on land |
These two specific forever chemicals were introduced to the environment during the world wars as by products of weapons. Chemical companies found that these chemicals were perfect for certain kitchen products: nonstick pans. These nonstick pans were made with teflon and the waste from creating teflon were PFOAs and PFOS. DuPont was the main producers of teflon and was dominating the market with this product. They made billions of dollars off of nonstick pans. DuPont would dump these chemicals in water or fill barrels and bury them underground. The chemicals were then exposed to life.
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| Farm where forever chemicals killed many cows. |
People that got there water from these bodies of water would be drinking contaminated water unknowingly. It leeched into streams that farm animals would drink from. Cows would die with organs that were colored unnaturally. People were getting cancers, fetus development was severely affected, and several other painful diseases. DuPont knew this while they were dumping these chemicals; they had conducted their studies add come to the conclusion that PFOAs and PFOs were extremely dangerous. This was well before they were exposed lawyer Rob Bilott (I have linked the article to the whole story below. It is definitely worth reading for more information).
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| Bucky Bailey (mother was exposed to forever chemicals in DuPont while pregnant with him). |
The EPA says that is still does not know all the possible diseases that these forever chemicals can cause. But there is enough evidence that we should not be ingesting these chemicals. So far the EPA has establish a level of 70 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, but this standard is not regulated well across our country. While people are fighting to get rid of some forever chemicals, companies are coming out with newer synthetic chemicals at a rate faster than we can understand them. The best way we can protect ourselves from further exposure of is to only drink was that has been through activated carbon or high pressure membrane, such as referees osmosis. Boiling water will not get the forever chemicals out. Our public water system now has the facilities to remove forever chemicals. Also we can protect ourselves by buying meat that is well regulated areas. While it might seem that we are still well protected from these chemicals today, we are not. Many court cases continue against forever chemicals even though many studies are coming out showing the negative impacts of forever chemicals. The only way we can show support for these cases and our health is to show companies and our government that we will not buy products that will harm us and the environment.
Questions:
1. Have you ever heard of forever chemicals or their impact before?
2. How do you think the production of forever chemicals can be tackled by the government?
3. How big of problem do you see this as?
Links:
New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html
The movie Dark Waters summarizes this whole article.
EPA: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos
29 comments:
This reoccurring problem of corporations dumping chemicals and creating waste is perpetually increasing as a result of consumer demand. Such corporations create a large percentage of waste in our world today. This problem is very big and we need to act upon it quickly since it is a problem that will increase in direct relation to the size of the human population. We are citizens and consumers have the responsibility of ensuring that companies are held accountable for the environmental effect. By verbally chastising them and then buying their products we do nothing to better the situation. However, by being more conscious and taking into consideration the environmental effects when we purchase products from certain companies, we can promote the entire industry to shift gears.
Forever chemicals are definitely a large poroblem because all it takes is one dump in a pond or lake or river and it spreads like a parasite throught the ecosystem. It can go into the soil and into the plants or even taken to animals that will drink it and we will eat the diseased animals. We can even end up drinking the contaminated water. I think that the government could definitely set out certain laws and acts that prohibit the dumping and ultimately the production of these harmful chemicals. Right now while companies keep making money, nothing will get in their way except the law so I believe it is very important that the government must set out new laws against these companies.
I had vaguely heard of the name DuPont, and the case involving them, but I did not know how harmful these chemicals were or how the problem was created. I think government regulation would help the problem, but it seems to be becoming a more massive problem because of how companies are using more and more synthetic chemicals. I think companies need to become more conscious of what they use along with better environmental protection laws in order to truly solve the problem.
I have never heard of the forever chemicals or their negative impact before this article. I believe government intervention is necessary in order to regulate the use of chemicals and chemical waste. Government regulation can limit and oversee the management of chemicals. The responsibility should not only be placed on the government but also on the companies and the consumers of the companies. As people who inhabit the earth, we should understand the cost of living on the Earth and the small ways we can create a better place to live in such as being conscious of what we buy and how it would affect the environment,
I think that extensive use of chemicals (pesticides, synthetic dyes, etc) in clothing, makeup, and food is becoming a common practice in society. However, I have vaguely heard of forever chemicals. In terms of health, this is a serious crisis that can deteriorate one’s body and its functions. Furthermore, government policies to reduce factory waste should be established to prevent such environmental and health damage. Currently, the Earth is under immense pressure from anthropogenic factors, so it is our responsibility (and our fellow countries of the planet) to inhibit the detrimental global changes.
Use of forever chemicals has become a prevalent problem in our society today. Pesticides are especially well known throughout the world. Honestly, the only way that the government can try to combat forever chemicals is by creating a ban of some sort on them or trying to place a limitation on the type of forever chemicals being used. It may not seem like such a big problem now, but as we can see throughout history most of the problems that seem small in the beginning end up becoming massive problems for our society to try and figure out how to stop.
When I learned of forever chemicals I was truly shocked as to how extensive their damages were to our lives and society. To add, the fact that they are extremely releveant in our lives and are encountered by us on a daily basis is astonishing. If we have strict rules and regulations on products like dyes in clothing, food, etc., then we can dramatically decrease the daily impact of forever chemicals on our lives. I think this is a global issue that we should all collaborate together to combat and destroy.
I’ve always known that there are harmful chemicals that are released into the environment by big corporations, but I’ve never heard of this specific company and the specific effects they have on our lives. In Flower Mound, we are lucky enough that we never really experience the full effects, but in other places, they don’t have the resources for clean water or the ability to ensure that their food comes from uncontaminated sources. These areas are usually the place where the chemicals are released since the companies don’t have to follow strict laws and regulations. It is important that these companies get rid of their byproducts in safe ways or find ways to make their products in an environmentally friendly way.
This seems like a huge issue to me, for the reason that many of the long-term effects of these chemicals is still unknown. Ingesting these chemicals could potentially lead to unforeseen complications in future generations. As corporations keep producing newer synthetic chemicals like these, they should also be expected to formulate clean and safe ways to dispose of them.
I can't say that I have heard of forever chemicals specifically before this article, though I knew of harmful chemicals. I was shocked to find out that forever chemicals have such a large impact. Forever chemicals seem to be a major problem, seeing as we don't yet know all the possible side effects yet and these chemicals will be in our environment for a very long time. As for the prevention of making these chemicals, companies should be held accountable for what they dump into the environment, and the chemicals that pose a high threat to the ecosystem should be banned.
Before this class I had never heard the specific term “forever chemicals”, but I had heard of such harmful chemicals that had half lives of millions of years. I knew that these chemicals were harmful for the environment but I did not know the extent of their impacts on the environment until reading this article. I always thought that these forever chemicals were not harming humans, but after reading this article I can see that these chemicals are a much bigger deal than I thought. I think the government can regulate big companies and corporations and prevent them from making excess forever chemicals. Because it is unfortunately unrealistic to completely ban companies from using forever chemicals, the government can still help out by enforcing laws and regulations. These regulations can control how many chemicals a company can produce in a certain amount of time and ensure that they dispose of their chemicals in a way that will not harm the environment as much. While companies will ultimately still be producing harmful chemicals, the number of chemicals will greatly decrease and save the lives of many plants and animals. After reading this article I see this as a huge problem. The way many animals and humans are dying from these chemicals is not right. It is a huge issue that many animals are catching lethal diseases and many humans are born with defects like the man shown in the picture. I think this is a huge issue and must be resolved before these forever chemicals do any more permanent damage to our environment.
I have never heard of forever chemicals before, only of harmful chemicals that can be introduced into our water supply. I knew that chemicals can cause severe harm to life but never knew the extent of it before reading this article. I think the government should try to regulate forever chemicals more and make sure that they are not present in any public water supply. They should also stop certain companies from producing products that contain these chemicals. I see this as a very big issue especially if it gets out of control but I think if the government and people help out in preventing harm it will not become a big issue.
I have never heard of forever chemicals before or their impact before. I am glad that I did because I think it is important to be aware of these chemicals because of their negative impacts on the environment. I do believe that the production of forever chemicals can be tackled by the government. The government can implement caps or restrictions on the use of these chemicals. They can control the disposal of these chemicals and keep them out of drinking water sources. I see this as a huge problem because it impacts the resources that matter the most. Resources like water should not be contaminated by these chemicals for any reason. I think it crucial for the government and companies to dispose of these chemicals correctly and look to protect the environment
Until reading this article, I have never heard of forever chemicals. I think that the majority of people do not know what forever chemicals are or their unwanted side effects they will have on humans and the environment. I think that if the government raised more awareness for this issue and tried to organize committees to boycott goods that used forever chemicals, we can make a serious change in the environment and hopefully eliminate forever chemicals for good. I see this as a hug problem that without proper attention can get out of hand very fast and will soon start to degrade our environment and negatively affect our health.
I have not heard of forever chemicals before this article. Obviously, chemicals are harmful to the environment but I didn't know how severe forever chemicals were as opposed to the ordinary chemicals we see in everyday products. Yes, I think the government should take more initiatives to control the usage of these chemicals by creating laws that are enforced by states all over the country. Moreover, we should try to stop the spread of these chemicals before it becomes a bigger concern. Companies should try to find an alternative to these harmful chemicals with something more sustainable. It is a big problem because it will affect future generations and the problem will not stop if we don't do anything about it.
Before reading this article I didn't know forever chemical was thing, but I'm glad you did a research on this topic because it's important to know that these chemicals are doing to our environment. The government can help by restricting our use of chemicals in factories. If the government makes a law for it and reduces the use of chemicals it can possibly help the environment because that would cause the factories to not use chemical as much. I see this as a pretty big problem because if we don't make a move it will affect the future.
I have never heard of forever chemicals, nor the impact they have on the environment. I believe that the government can control this issue with forever chemicals. I think they can control this issue with the power they have. They need to keep these chemicals out drinking water and other water sources. Water is an essential part of survival for all living things, and the government needs to dispose of the chemicals properly.
The drastic impact of forever chemicals was not an issue I was aware of before reading this article. It came to surprise to me that even here in the US that we are combating companies that release dangerous chemicals into our water and environment, I previously thought that actions like these were stopped by the government and only occurred in other developing countries. I do not think the US government can control the production and release of forever chemicals due to the ongoing trend of their release. Our government type simply does not have enough power to take control of these companies, rather, I believe its in the consumers, or our, hands to prevent this production. By boycotting these products and refusing to purchase any products that release these chemicals we can eliminate the production of them. I do not find this problem as big as other environmental factors like the abundance of plastic in our oceans as forever chemicals can be taken care of through reverse osmosis and other methods. In that case, I believe other environmental crisis's should be taken care of before we attempt to stop the production of forever chemicals.
Prior to reading this article I had not heard of forever chemicals and their affects on the environment. I think that the government crack down harder on the way these companies dispose of the forever chemicals. I think that if a company either dumps or buries these chemicals a certain vicinity from a natural environment or near a water source the government should either fine the company or have them shut down for endangering the general public. I believe that the problem with forever chemicals could be easily solved if the government stepped in to intervene. Unlike problems such as the growing amount of plastic in the ocean forever chemicals are a considerably easier problem to fix.
I have never heard of forever chemicals before in my life, but I know that there are chemicals wasted into the environment, I just never heard of that term before. This is certainly a problem in our environment especially since it stays for decades in order for it to disappear. I feel as though this is a huge problem as it can intoxicate not only animals and the environment but also us humans. We should tackle this problem to save the environment but to further stop any other dangers towards us.
I had heard of forever chemicals before, but I had not heard of the term forever chemicals. My grandfather explained to me when I was younger how weapons from war, especially nuclear weapons cause a ripple effect and would spread everywhere, but he did not use the term forever chemicals. Forever chemicals cause a huge ripple effect and are very dangerous because even though it starts in one area, it spreads quickly and cannot be taken out. The only way to get rid of forever chemicals is through very strong water filtration systems. As long as we can filter these forever chemicals out of our water, their effect on our lives will not be as present. The government can help with regulating filtration systems which would ensure that this problem would not spread and would be controlled.
All through 2019 and now in 2020, the amazing extent of the new American wellbeing emergency has come pointedly into center. Around 700 PFAS-debased destinations have been distinguished across the country, while in excess of 110 million individuals may now drink tainted water. Later testing discovered high PFAS levels in savoring water 34 significant US urban areas. A few analysts state almost every wellspring of surface water in the nation is defiled. The synthetic concoctions are especially hazardous on the grounds that they are water solvent and effectively travel through the earth. Landfills, army installations and mechanical destinations regularly defile soil from which the synthetic compounds move into groundwater and springs, at that point dirty close by wells or civil drinking sources. Given the current awareness the government has to these forever chemicals, I feel confident that our government will find an accommodating solution to this problem.
I think I might have heard a few vague things about forever chemicals at some points in my life but honestly I don’t know much about them. The main chemical issue story I know about is Chernobyl which is pretty awful so knowing that there’s MORE of that stuff out there is not very amazing. I guess the government could pass regulations for these chemicals like it’s done with the drug and food industries. This seems like a pretty big problem because these chemicals are ruining peoples lives and could be causing other issues that none of us even know about.
Personally, I have not heard of forever chemicals before, but after reading the impacts about it, I realize that it should be much more recognized. I believe that the problem can be solved if people would stop dumping out the waste. I think that the problem is that not many people realize the consequences that come from dumping out chemicals. As companies continue to produce new chemicals, they should also come up with ways so that they do not end up in waters.
I had heard of forever chemicals from a science book I read when I was 9 years old. It talks about how forever chemicals can spread through food web among fish and consumers. For many years, forever chemicals are being dumped into the ocean simply because it’s cheap. Because of that we are currently experiencing water pollution. The government should enforce laws and regulations to prevent factories dumping waste into the ocean. We, on the other hand, can reduce the usage of soap, detergent, or bleach to reduce the amount of toxic water. If this problem persists, then not only we’re going losing access to clean water but also it’ll potentially make sea creatures go extinct.
I actually haven't heard of forever chemicals, however, reading your article has given me a lot of insight into what exactly forever chemicals are. I think that one way we could solve this problem is to raise more awareness about the dangers of dumping waste into major bodies of water. Hopefully this would convince both people and companies to stop carelessly disposing their chemicals, and instead find more eco-friendly ways to dispose such chemicals.
Personally, I had never heard of forever chemicals before reading this blog. That is why I felt like it was not that big an issue as it has not affected me or really anyone I know. So for me, I believe that this is not as significant a problem as other major issues arising in our environment. This does not mean that forever chemicals are not important, but it means that maybe our resources should be expended elsewhere for more serious and immediately threatening issues which may have potentially larger impacts on us as well as the environment as a whole.
It’s very sad to see what’s happened to Bucky Bailey as a result of the chemicals. I personally think non-stick pans or anything that’s not a necessity isn't worth this kind of harsh impact on the environment. The government should take action by outlawing the burial of certain chemicals or banishing them entirely. It’s not fair that a company which is just after money from their product has the power to do such damaging things to even just a single human.
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