Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances better known as PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals first introduced by the consumer products industry in the 1940s. These chemicals are still being used today and are released from manufacturing facilities.

These chemicals have spread into the environment, affecting the water you drink, the air you breathe, and the ecosystems. Peer-reviewed studies have detected PFAS in the drinking water of at least 200,000,000 individuals in the United States. 

PFAS exposure, even at low levels, has been linked to chronic diseases, including cancer, reproductive and developmental harm, and harm to the immune system. Specifically, diseases such as high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, and kidney cancer. 

PFAS chemicals are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally, and will persist in our environment. Our bodies can not keep up with the current amount of exposure, so these chemicals build up and accumulate over time. This accumulation will lead to even greater risks of developing health issues. If we don’t act now, PFAS will get passed on to your children for generations. Ninety-seven percent of the U.S. population already has varying levels of PFAS in their bodies. 

"PFAS Accountability Act" (S.1334) 

• Accountability for irresponsible PFAS manufacturing
• Encourage and incentivize PFAS research for individual safety
• Protections and medical care for individuals significantly exposed to PFAS

Many Congressional members are already aware of PFAS and its dangers. But currently, this bill is not moving and the listed items remain unaddressed.

Your signature on this petition will alert Congress to the importance of acting on this bill in order to protect ourselves and future generations. If we do not address PFAS now, it will reach ever-increasing levels in our environment and bodies.

Learn more about the bill here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1334/text?r=4&s=1%C2%A0

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References

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, May 2). Per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) factsheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/PFAS_FactSheet.html#:~:text=Many%20PFAS%2C%20including%20perfluorooctane%20sulfonic,bioaccumulate)%20in%20fish%20and%20wildlife

[2] Health risks of widely used chemicals may be underestimated. News. (2018, June 27). Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/pfas-health-risks underestimated/#:~:text=A%20recent%20review%20from%20the,of%20asthma%20and%20thyroid%20disease.

[3] Study: More than 200 million Americans could have toxic PFAS in their drinking water. Environmental Working Group. (2022, September 22). Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/study-more-200-million-americans-could-have-toxic-pfas-their-drinking 

[4] S.1334 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Pfas accountability act of 2021. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/13 

[5] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc/index.cfm

[6] Image Source: https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/pfas_contamination/map/