Latest news with #Teflon
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Are States Gearing Up to Ban Nonstick Cookware?
Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images If frying eggs or bacon is a regular part of your morning ritual, take note. Soon, your ability to use nonstick cookware may come down to where you live. New York state lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would prohibit 'the manufacture, sale, and use' of cookware containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the primary substance used to create a nonstick surface. Though the chemical compound, commonly known by the brand name Teflon, is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration, New York has now joined a growing list of states that are proposing to ban—or in some cases, have already banned—nonstick cookware in their territories. Find answers about nonstick pans Is New York banning nonstick cookware? Are nonstick pans safe? What happens when PFAS accumulate in the body? Should consumers throw out nonstick pans? What other states have banned nonstick pans? In January of this year, two New York State senators introduced Senate Bill S1767, which if passed, 'prohibits the manufacture, sale, and use of cookware containing polytetrafluoroethylene.' In the bill's justification, the sponsors write that the chemicals used in nonstick pans are 'within the family of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which are known to have severe health effects such as harm to reproductive and bodily functions, developmental effects in youth, increased cancer risk and increased risk for high cholesterol and obesity.' It acknowledges that additional research is needed to determine the full scope of risk, but 'we should not leave people vulnerable to the potential negative health effects,' it concludes. The bill is currently in Senate committee, meaning it hasn't been brought to the floor for voting by the whole legislative body. Once on the floor, it needs to be approved by both the New York State Senate and Assembly, then signed into law by the governor. I Tried It I Tried It: Our Place's Cast Iron Always Pan Is The Real Deal Your favorite pan now comes in a sturdier version There is little debate about the safety risk of nonstick pans that do not use Teflon coating, for example ceramic or cast-iron pans. However, those that do use PTFE have raised concerns in recent years. 'PTFE belongs to a subgroup of what is known as PFAS,' explains Bruce Jarnot, PhD, global materials compliance expert, toxicologist, and product compliance advisor at Assent. PFAS are often colloquially called 'forever chemicals,' because they don't degrade over time, and the human body cannot metabolize them. In some instances, this can come in handy. PFAS are used to insulate leads in a pacemaker or used in hip joint replacements since they are inert. 'In these instances, it's fine, it's inert,' Jarnot says. 'But there are other considerations to take into account when considering potential laws like New York State Senate Bill 1767.' The first, he says, is the environmental waste and pollution that manufacturers of products containing PFAS make. 'We all have the monomers—the building blocks of polymers like Teflon—inside us from the manufacturing phase,' Jarnot says, adding that the waste ends up in water and soil, which eventually makes its way to the humans. 'So there's a strong argument against PFAS in general. Because they stay put in the body, and they can accumulate over time when they're in our environment.' In cookware specifically, that potential risk increases because the products are used with high heats. 'That's probably the highest heat environment that a material like Teflon is exposed to. So when you have a pacemaker implanted, it's at body temperature. If you're searing fish or steak in a fry pan, it's being exposed to much higher heat,' he says. Chemical reactions occur faster in hot environments, and, 'You could have decomposition of the polymer giving rise to some really nasty airborne PFAS. And there is probably some internalization of these decomposing products at high temperature.' According to the the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to PFAS could be harmful to human health. 'Scientists at EPA, in other federal agencies, and in academia and industry are continuing to conduct and review the growing body of research about PFAS. However, health effects associated with exposure to PFAS are difficult to specify for many reasons,' the agency says. For that reason, more research is required to determine the exact risks. As Jarnot explains, toxicologists often say that it's the dose that makes the poison. 'So here you have something that's not metabolizing and that is accumulating in your body, creating aggregate exposure. In that case, every bit you add to your exposure cup counts.' Even in states where nonstick pans are legal, some consumers may consider discarding theirs because of potential risk. 'As a toxicologist, I still use Teflon pans,' Jarnot admits. 'But you should never heat them without something in it, and should avoid very high heat.' That said, eliminating nonstick pans could be an easy way to minimize exposure to PFAS. 'You're getting exposure in almost all drinks—water, wine, beer, soda—because it's in the water these drinks are made from. But you need water, you need food. So one of the places you could easily omit exposure is in cookware,' Jarnot adds. Multiple states have passed or are considering legislation about polytetrafluoroethylene in their territories. California, for example, passed a law that states cookware with intentionally added PFAS must be disclosed on product labels; however, it hasn't passed a full ban. Others, like Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island have passed laws that go into effect over the next few years and ban products with intentionally added PFAS. Minnesota passed a law banning PFAS in a number of consumer goods, including cookware, which went into effect in January of this year. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest More Great Stories From AD Not a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now. This Lower East Side Loft Is a Sexy Riff on '90s Basements How a Financial Influencer Upgraded Her Brooklyn Apartment on a Budget 13 Best Platform Beds of 2025 We Use In Our Own Bedrooms
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cyborg tadpoles ‘hold clues to origin of autism'
Cyborg tadpoles with electrodes grown into their brains have been created by Harvard scientists to help study autism and schizophrenia. Tiny flexible electrodes were implanted into tadpole embryos when they were days old, allowing them to completely embed into the central nervous system as the amphibians is the first time that researchers have shown it is possible to create a device that integrates seamlessly into the brain while it develops. Usually, scientists implant metal electrodes into mature brains to monitor brain cell activity, but by then, the critical early stages of development are over and the process often causes some neuronal damage. Neurological conditions such as autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are thought to be 'baked in' to the brain early on, so being able to watch the brain developing could offer vital clues into why they develop. 'Autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia – these all could happen at early developmental stages,' said Dr Jia Liu, assistant professor of bioengineering at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 'There is just no ability currently to measure neural activity during early neural development. Our technology will really enable an uncharted area. 'If we can fully leverage the natural development process, we will have the ability to implant a lot of sensors across the 3D brain non-invasively, and at the same time, monitor how brain activity gradually evolves over time. No one has ever done this before.' To create the cyborg tadpoles, scientists used soft, stretchy implantable ribbons containing dozens of sensors capable of recording the activity of single neurons in the brain. The probes were developed at Harvard and are made from a material known as a 'fluorinated elastomer', similar to Teflon, which can live stably in the brain for several months. It is as soft as biological tissue but can be engineered into highly resilient electronic components that can house multiple sensors for recording brain activity. The ribbons were implanted on an area of the embryo called the 'neural plate', which is the earliest stage of the nervous system. As the embryo develops, the plate bends into a u-shape, taking the ribbon probes inside. By the time the neural plate has grown into the neural tube – the basis of the brain and central nervous system – the electronics are completely embedded inside, where they can give a read-out of how the neurons are firing and communicating with each other. Researchers say the device can record electrical activity from single brain cells with millisecond precision, with no impact on normal tadpole embryo development or behaviour. By integrating their stretchable device into the neural plate, the researchers showed they could continuously monitor brain activity during each embryonic stage. 'These so-called cyborg tadpoles offer a glimpse into a future in which profound mysteries of the brain could be illuminated, and diseases that manifest in early development could be understood, treated or cured,' Harvard said in a press notice about the new technology. The research is published in the journal Nature. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The chemicals in your drinking water that are harming your health (and how to avoid them)
Forever chemicals are part and parcel of modern life. Whether you're pulling on a waterproof jacket, grabbing a coffee in a paper cup, or unwrapping a takeaway, chances are your body's absorbing them. There's more than 10,000 of these synthetic compounds today, which are prized for their resistance to water, oil and stains. That makes them incredibly useful, but nearly impossible to avoid. First developed in the 1930s in both Germany and the United States, PFAS became widely commercialised in the 1950s when US company DuPont used PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) to create Teflon, the world's first non-stick coating. Their chemical structure – bonding carbon with fluorine – makes them nearly impossible to break down. As a result, they can persist in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years, earning them the nickname 'forever chemicals'. This persistence means PFAS are now ubiquitous. They are found in soil, air, drinking water, rainwater, and even the blood of nearly every person on Earth. The use of the most dangerous PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid), were phased out in the United States, the UK and many other countries beginning in the early 2000s, after studies linked them to cancer, immune system suppression, thyroid disease, liver damage, developmental delays in children, and fertility issues. However, although they are not used in the manufacture of new products in the UK, those toxic, banned chemicals will never disappear from our environment. They exist in the water we drink and the soil that grows our food. More worrying is that these banned substances have been replaced by newer, supposedly less harmful, forever chemicals. These haven't been shown to cause health problems yet, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be worried. Dr Dave Megson, a chemistry and environmental forensics scientist at Manchester Metropolitan University, says: 'I'm still concerned about them. We've banned the two chemicals we know the most about, but the replacement chemicals are very similar. They're just less understood and their toxicity hasn't been fully confirmed. That seems to be the loophole because we haven't proven they're harmful yet, they're still allowed.' He thinks they will be banned in time and 'we're just waiting for the toxicological data to catch up. We need time to prove how harmful these new PFAS are.' Ian Cousins, professor of environmental organic chemistry at Stockholm University, thinks that most uses are unnecessary. 'We should not be using them because they're so persistent, and there are alternatives on the market.' Last month, the UK's Environmental Audit Committee launched a formal inquiry into PFAS contamination and regulation across the UK. They're concerned that the evidence showing they harm human health is not being taken seriously enough. The UK is lagging behind most other developing countries when it comes to regulating forever chemicals. The EU is moving forward with a comprehensive proposal to restrict the manufacture, use and marketing of approximately 10,000 PFAS. Currently, the UK has banned several specific PFAS chemicals found in firefighting foams, such as Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), banned over a decade ago, and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), which will be banned from July this year. It's no surprise, given the UK's lack of regulation that a global study assessing blood serums containing PFAS, found UK concentrations to be amongst some of the highest in the world. But while we are waiting for the UK government to catch up with the rest of the world, there are measures that worried consumers can take to reduce their exposure. Despite water companies having to dilute contaminated water with purer water or use an alternative source, PFAS are still getting into drinking water. PFAS were found in more than half of samples of Scottish drinking water taken in 2023. PFAS have also been found in both bottled and tap water samples in the UK. The Environment Agency has identified over 10,000 sites across England as high-risk for PFAS contamination, many associated with firefighting foam which contained now banned PFAS. Prof Cousins says that people should be especially concerned if they live near an industrial or military site that may have used firefighting foam in the past. 'That is a particularly nasty PFAS and you don't want to be exposed to it. So if you live in that [kind of] area I would consider getting my water tested and install a water filter.' Several UK sites are under investigation for PFAS contamination from firefighting foam. At AGC Chemicals in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, over 100 tonnes of PFOA (now a banned chemical) were released between 1950 and 2012, prompting soil and water testing. In Norfolk, RAF Marham is being examined after PFAS were found in local drinking water, with bottled water now being supplied to residents. Duxford's former RAF base, now an Imperial War Museum site, is also being monitored due to potential contamination of nearby aquifers. The most effective water filters for removing PFAS use reverse osmosis, activated carbon, or ion exchange. Reverse osmosis systems can remove up to ninety-nine per cent of PFAS, while activated carbon filters also work well if the filters are changed regularly. Good examples include Berkey Water Filters, which use carbon elements tested for PFAS removal, and the Aquasana OptimH2O, which combines reverse osmosis and carbon filtration. Dr Megson offers some reassurance. 'The UK has some of the most tested and regulated water in the world. In known hotspots water is regularly blended and monitored to stay within guidelines. Carpets might be cosy and warm underfoot but increasingly researchers are raising concerns over them as a hidden source of PFAS. They are often added to carpets to make them stain and water resistant. Walking on them creates dust that can reach breathing height. 'People think of contamination as something outside, but indoor dust is significant. For example, carpets treated with Scotchgard in the 1990s are now breaking down releasing PFAS as the fibres degrade,' says Dr Megson. A recent study led by Dr Scott Bartell at the University of California, Irvine, found that people living with carpets consistently showed higher blood PFAS levels than those with bare floors. His conclusion? Carpets are a significant and underestimated source of exposure. Oliver Jones, professor of chemistry, at RMIT University in Melbourne says that 'if you really want to reduce exposure, you should start by looking at where the largest sources of PFAS to humans are. Evidence suggests it's dust in the air.' He recommends getting an air filter. While a standard mechanical air filter, known as an HEPA filter can trap particulate-bound PFAS (like those stuck to dust), a better choice would be an activated carbon air filter. The critical difference: they can remove gaseous PFAS from the air. For broader protection, a combination of both HEPA and activated carbon filtration is ideal. Activated carbon works by adsorbing chemicals at a molecular level, capturing many volatile PFAS compounds that might otherwise circulate freely in your home. Not all air purifiers are created equal, though. Look for units with large activated carbon beds and a high Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). Vacuum with a HEPA filter: a high-efficiency vacuum can reduce PFAS-laden dust. Models like Dyson's Gen5outsize (£1,000) or the more affordable Shark Detect and Empty (£350) both offer strong filtration, though only some include activated carbon filters to trap gases. Parchment paper, wax paper and foil are regular fixtures in most kitchens. They are the kind of supplies people use without thinking twice. But research has found that some of these everyday items may be coated with PFAS. When exposed to high temperatures, especially in ovens or on grills, PFAS can break down and potentially seep into the food. That means cooking something as simple as vegetables in foil, or lining a tray with treated paper, could become a source of unwanted chemical exposure over time. 'There are lots of kitchen items with PFAS, including baking paper, non-stick pans and even dishwasher tablets,', says Dr Megson. 'Not all of them transfer large amounts to your food, but some still do. Some parchment paper contains PFAS. But if you're baking a cake once a month, the exposure is minimal compared to what you get from your diet or potentially your water.' 'It's death by a thousand paper cuts. It might be small amounts, but it all adds up in burger wrappers, coffee cups, dishwasher tablets, makeup and workout clothes,' he says. A simple solution that creates a similar non-stick effect is to coat your pan with butter and cover it with flour. The following retailers provide some PFAS-free alternatives: Green Safe Products, Clondakin Group, Nordic Paper. PFAS are also found in a lot of athletic clothing including popular Lycra leggings. They are added to fabrics to make them water and stain resistant, or to help wick sweat away from the skin, which is common in performance gear. A 2022 investigation by Toxic Free Future found that more than 70 per cent of sportswear tested contained PFAS, including items from well-known brands. Researchers at Birmingham University also found that sweating makes it easier for the body to absorb these chemicals into the body. There are plenty of PFAS-free options. Look for those made from natural fabrics, such as organic cotton, hemp and bamboo. These selections represent a range of PFAS-free sportswear options from reputable brands: Patagonia has been working to eliminate PFAS from its products, and offers items like the Cap Cool Daily Shirt. Sweaty Betty's Ultimate Studio Twin Strap Bra Vest is designed without PFAS. PFAS can be used to waterproof outdoor clothing. The performance clothing company Rab has been actively working to eliminate PFAS from its products. As of autumn/winter 2024, approximately 95 per cent of Rab's fabrics with durable water repellent (DWR) treatments are PFAS-free. Patagonia Torrentshell 3L rain jacket and North Face's Resolve 2 jacket are PFAS- free. 'I think the cosmetics industry has got away [with it] pretty lightly at the moment, whereas the clothing industry has had to do quite a lot,' said Dr Megson. He is worried about gym users applying make-up. 'I'd expect people to get more exposure through make-up than clothes. A lot of people now wear make-up in the gym because they want to look good while exercising. So they go for the really tough 72-hour formulas because they don't want it to run. The reason it stays on so well is because it's packed with PFAS, which resist sweat and water.' Many everyday cosmetics like nail polish, lipstick, mascara, and foundation contain chemicals PFAS, added because they help make products more durable, waterproof, and longer-lasting. Natural and organic beauty products often avoid these synthetic chemicals altogether. Several UK brands now offer PFAS-free nail varnishes and polishes that focus on safer, non-toxic ingredients. Popular options include Zoya, known for formulas free from harmful chemicals like PFAS and Piggy Paint, which provides non-toxic, water-based polishes safe for sensitive skin. Axiology offers clean beauty products with PFAS-free nail polishes. 'Fast food packaging is another unnecessary use of PFAS. It's done purely for convenience. It's there to stop grease from soaking through. We don't want a greasy stain on our shorts or trousers when we're eating a burger. But in warm, moist conditions, like with a wrapped burger, more chemicals can transfer. So it's an extra load we really don't need,' says Dr Megson. 'Pizza boxes are some of the worst and most unnecessary use of PFAS,' says Prof Cousins. 'Instead of using chemicals to stop the fats from the pizza escaping the box, they should make thicker boxes.' Some PFAS-free alternatives include uncoated paper and cardboard, which are suitable for dry foods like sandwiches and pastries and can be recycled or composted. Bioplastic-coated paper, made with plant-based polylactic acid (PLA), offers compostable options. Containers made from sugarcane byproducts, known as bagasse, are naturally grease- and water-resistant, microwave-safe, and home compostable, making them ideal for takeaway plates and containers. However, the raised awareness about PFAS is having an impact on businesses. McDonald's has committed to eliminating them from its food packaging globally by 2025. While US Tex-Mex chain Chipotle committed to eliminating PFAS from all packaging by 2024 and has made significant progress. To keep hot drinks from soaking through paper cups, they are lined with a thin layer of plastic-like material. 'These cups contain PFAS,' said Prof Cousins. 'Remember though that not all PFAS are the same. They have short chains unlike the older ones that were banned. These substances have not so far been linked to human health effects. However, they are persistent and will accumulate in the environment, which is not a good thing. Toxicity is about dose, so if they continue to accumulate, they are likely to be a problem in the future.' If you're concerned, a simple way to steer clear is to carry a reusable cup made from materials like stainless steel, glass or silicone. Both Dr Megson and Prof Cousins says that we absorb a lot of PFAS through the food chain. 'I wouldn't eat any fish or shellfish from Morecambe Bay. I wouldn't touch the estuary because it is terribly contaminated, says Prof Cousins. I'd be suspicious of eggs reared at home or in these areas, and home-grown vegetables if you live near a hot spot. I would avoid freshwater fish from polluted rivers.' Strawberries sold in the UK have been found to contain high levels of pesticide residues that include PFAS. A 2022 review of government testing data, analysed by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK), found that nearly all of the strawberry samples, 95 per cent, contained traces of PFAS-related pesticides. Strawberries appear to be particularly vulnerable due to the types of pesticides used, and the fruit's porous surface. Other fruits and vegetables, including grapes, spinach, cherries, and tomatoes were also found to carry PFAS residues. 'We get a lot of our PFAS in our bodies from our diet,' says Dr Megson. Wastewater sludge or slurry which is used as a fertiliser is packed full of PFAS. Animals grazing on contaminated land or drinking polluted water can accumulate PFAS in their tissues, which then passes up to the food chain to humans. Going organic is the best solution to avoid PFAS. Washing fruit and vegetables thoroughly to try to remove as much of them as possible. Recent research has shown that donating blood or plasma and taking specific medications can help reduce PFAS levels in the body. A 2022 Australian study found that regular blood donations lowered PFAS concentrations by about 10 per cent, while plasma donations, which remove more of the protein-bound PFAS, reduced levels by up to 30 per cent over a year. Additionally, clinical trials are exploring the use of cholestyramine, used to lower cholesterol. This medication binds to PFAS in the digestive system, helping eliminate them through the liver. While these methods don't eliminate PFAS entirely, they offer promising ways to reduce the body's chemical burden, especially for those with high exposure. PFAS and microplastics can be linked. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles (less than 5mm) that result from the breakdown of larger plastic waste or are manufactured at that size, commonly polluting oceans, soil, and even food. PFAS can bind to or coat microplastics in the environment, effectively hitching a ride on these tiny plastic particles. This combination may increase the potential for PFAS to enter the food chain, as microplastics are ingested by marine life and other organisms. So while they are chemically distinct, they can interact and amplify each other's environmental impact. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
E&E News
11-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
‘Forever chemicals' industry aims to capitalize on AI boom
Chemical giant Chemours is pushing to expand production of 'forever chemicals' to meet surging demand for semiconductor chips, used in everything from smartphones to cars to data centers. But the factories that support a product key to onshoring those chips' supply chains are linked to growing trails of contamination, spurring concerns about whether Chemours can scale up without releasing more toxic pollutants. Chemours has proposed increasing operations at its Fayetteville, North Carolina, plant to support semiconductors, hydrogen energy and other industries, the company says. At its other plant near Parkersburg, West Virginia, the company plans to open a third production line for Teflon, which it says is critical for the booming artificial intelligence industry. Advertisement The expansion plans are raising alarms over whether the spread of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, could be a consequence of the world's growing reliance on semiconductors, especially as AI takes off. Prized for their extreme stability and durability, human-made PFAS have been used for years to make firefighting gear, plastic packaging, pharmaceuticals and semiconductor chips. Demand for those chips is now surging with the rise of AI, powered by a growing number of energy-intensive, hyperscale data centers. Unlike some other uses of PFAS, semiconductors are currently impossible to make without the substances, said Andrew Chien, a computer science professor at the University of Chicago and former vice president of research of Intel. 'They're used in a sequential fashion in the processing of the chips,' Chien said. 'We can become more efficient about it, but it's not obvious how we transition away from [PFAS].' Chemours isn't the only chemical company hoping to cash in. The Japanese company Daikin, which operates a large factory in Decatur, Alabama, will focus this year on selling materials for 'AI semiconductor manufacturing equipment' and forecasts strong demand from the data center sector, it said in a presentation to investors last month. Chemours aims to enter another part of the data center market as well. It's developing chemical fluids marketed as a less energy-intensive way to cool computer systems housed in the warehouse-like buildings. 'Our work in this area has been focused on developing more sustainable and efficient solutions that would allow data centers to consume less energy and water, and reduce their space footprint,' company spokesperson Jess Loizeaux said in a statement to POLITICO's E&E News. Both the Parkersburg and the Fayetteville factories have a long history of polluting the surrounding environment with PFAS, which accumulate in water and soil and are linked to cancer, reduced fertility, kidney damage and other human health problems. EPA is working to propose a wastewater pollution rule that could force Chemours and other PFAS manufacturers to better control their pollution. Some observers are skeptical, given the presence of former chemical industry lobbyists at the agency and the fact that the Trump administration withdrew a pending Biden-era regulation on the issue in January. Regulators in North Carolina continue to discover more PFAS tied to Chemours' plant, which began operating in 1971 and was owned by DuPont until 2015. 'It took a court-enforceable consent order to get Chemours to clean up their air and water emissions in North Carolina,' said Elizabeth Biser, former head of the state's Department of Environmental Quality. 'At this point, that one facility has contaminated 10 counties in our state, which is the vast majority of the southeastern part of the state.' Expansion triggers concern: 'We think it's a terrible idea' While it's impossible to verify what industries are driving Chemours' expansions, PFAS manufacturers have made the case that they're essential to winning the AI race and making semiconductors in the U.S. — a priority for both the Trump and Biden administrations. Late in the Biden administration, there was even talk at the Commerce Department of giving chemical makers funding from the Chips and Science Act, said Zachary Schafer, a former senior official in EPA's water office. EPA, however, expressed concerns. 'We had said that we'd want to make sure that under any circumstances, and especially if the federal government was funding these facilities and manufacturing lines, they were going forward with environmental controls,' Schafer said. Chemours' plant in West Virginia is the only one nationwide that makes Teflon, which is essential for semiconductor manufacturing, Loizeaux said. The company's North Carolina plant supports that production, in addition to making plastic film used by semiconductors and many other industries. The Fayetteville Works plant where Chemours manufactures PFAS. | Gerry Broome/AP The Semiconductor PFAS Consortium, an industry trade group, describes fluoropolymers as uniquely suited to their needs. Akin to a highly stable plastic, fluoropolymers possess a combination of 'chemical inertness, heat resistance, lack of particle shedding or metal leaching, processability, and other attributes required to meet rigorous requirements' for making the chips, the trade group says on its website. Every factory in the U.S. and Europe that makes fluoropolymers 'seems to have contaminated the surroundings' with PFAS used to make them, said Rainer Lohmann, an oceanography professor at the University of Rhode Island who studies the pollutants. 'It's certainly possible to be much cleaner, but it's nothing you can control 100 percent,' Lohmann said. 'You can understand why a community that's been exposed for decades is reluctant to see them ramp up production.' Chemours' expansion of its Fayetteville plant is 'emissions neutral' with respect to PFAS, according to Loizeaux. It involves doubling the capacity of some manufacturing processes, per the company's permit application. 'The design plans for the expansion include the installation of additional, already-proven emissions control technologies to minimize emissions,' Loizeaux said. 'Initial calculations project that the added abatement measures may result in a slight decrease in air emissions from the site.' But Kelly Moser, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center based in North Carolina, said Chemours' permit materials indicates that PFAS air emissions could increase by 20 percent. Those air emissions have been shown to pollute rainwater, which then deposits PFAS into groundwater, sometimes many miles away, Moser said. The permit application lists 19 different PFAS that could be released at higher levels if the plan moves forward, but Moser suspects there could be more. The family of chemicals includes thousands of known substances. 'We think it's a terrible idea, despite Chemours' claims that it needs to expand operations for additional demand for semiconductors and other technology applications,' she said. For years, Chemours' emissions of one type of PFAS, GenX, were largely unbeknownst to regulators and the general public. That was before news broke in 2017 that the pollutant had been dumped into the Cape Fear River, a drinking water supply for Wilmington and other communities, leading to the court-enforced consent agreement two years later. Since then, the company has made significant investments to control pollution, having installed a barrier wall to prevent PFAS flows into the river. Still, the state announced in March that another 150,000 residences were now eligible for private well testing for PFAS as the pollution continues to spread. Carla White learned two years ago that the water at her home in rural Brunswick County was contaminated with high levels of the pollutants. The news shocked White, who lives over 80 miles southeast of the Fayetteville plant. Now, she wonders if her 18-year-old daughter's lifelong health issues could be connected to the pollution. 'I've lived in this county and all my life, and there's a good possibility that every well I've drank from has been contaminated,' said White, 45, who got a filtration system installed this year. The Department of Environmental Quality has deemed Chemours' application incomplete and is requesting more details on specific PFAS present at the plant. A solution to cooling? Chemours' West Virginia plant opened a second fluoropolymer production line last year in response to growing demand from the semiconductor industry. Now, in a pollution permit application pending before the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the company describes plans for a third production line. A 300 millimeter wafer with semiconductor chips and finished microchips is pictured. | Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images The expansion doesn't sit well with some former EPA officials. Compared to the North Carolina factory, the one in West Virginia has fewer controls in place to limit PFAS releases. 'There remains ongoing concerns about what the overall discharges are from the [West Virginia] facility, including, in particular, stormwater discharges,' said Schafer, the former EPA official. In response to a 2023 agreement with EPA, Chemours has proposed a plan for preventing some PFAS releases at the Parkersburg plant. Nonetheless, the plant has repeatedly exceeded the pollution limits in its original wastewater permit and in its new permit associated with the second fluoropolymer production line. Both the data center industry and semiconductor manufacturers are aware of PFAS concerns amid growing scrutiny over the environmental impacts of AI. Researchers at Microsoft released a paper in Nature last month evaluating the sustainability of different cooling technologies for data centers. The facilities — which are full of semiconductors — must be kept cool around the clock, posing major concerns about energy use and contributions to global warming. Chemours plans to soon offer what it describes as a less energy-intensive solution to data center cooling. Specifically, the company is expanding products for two-phase immersion cooling, which uses PFAS. Two-phase immersion cooling isn't widely used in data centers, but it has the potential to save companies money on maintenance costs, said Chien of the University of Chicago. Still, he described it as 'a choice' for data center operators that merits scrutiny. 'It's not clear we need to use the [cooling technologies] that involve the use of PFAS,' Chien said. 'Even for two-phase immersion, there's a lot of active research on different coolants that could be used and don't involve PFAS chemicals.' The Semiconductor PFAS Consortium, meanwhile, maintains that the industry's use of PFAS is likely a small fraction of global demand. Still, the group recently released a report confirming that some semiconductor manufacturing plants release PFAS via wastewater. For Biser, the former North Carolina regulator, the reason for Chemours' expansion plans should not change the fact that companies need to manage the substances safely. Regulators must also scrutinize the necessity of all PFAS uses and search for alternatives as much as possible, she said. 'The bottom line for me is not saying you can't use it. It's saying that you've got to make sure it's not getting to places it shouldn't be,' she said. White, the Brunswick County resident, said she's trying to get answers from doctors about whether her daughter's health conditions could be tied to pollution detected in her well. Her water sampling results, shared with E&E News, showed extremely high levels of PFMOAA, a PFAS tied to the Fayetteville plant. While the substance is not currently regulated in drinking water, EPA researchers recently found that rats exposed to PFMOAA showed signs of reduced birth weight, hypoglycemia and 'numerous significantly altered genes in the liver associated with fatty acid and glucose metabolism.' White's daughter was diagnosed last month with a rare genetic disorder. She was born early, experienced premature puberty and has neurological issues that will prevent her from living independently, she said. 'I'm trying to get a health study done in this area, with the amount of neurological issues in not so much my generation, but in our offspring.' White said.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
I'm an injury lawyer - there's a popular home accessory I'd NEVER touch: 'It causes all sorts of health problems'
A lawyer has warned consumers against using three potentially cancer-causing products commonly found in homes. American lawyer Tom Bosworth, who specialises in wrongful death cases, said carcinogens silently reside in items like non-stick pans, weedkiller and air fresheners. In a video posted to Instagram thethe attorney, from Pennsylvania, shared three products that he personally 'would never use or buy'. One was 'any non-stick frying pan' like those used in Teflon kitchenware. He explained: 'The Teflon non-stick material has been shown to contain forever chemicals or PFOAs or PFOS—which are extremely volatile, dangerous and toxic.' Mr Bosworth said these chemicals can leach into your food when the pan is heated up to a very high temperature—like when cooking on a stove. 'That in turn can be extremely damaging to your health because you are obviously eating food made on those things,' he said. Studies on animals have shown chemicals used in non-stick pans increases the risk of tumours in the liver, pancreas and testicles of lab animals, as well as reducing their fertility. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Bosworth (@lawyertombosworth) Other possible risks include weight gain, hormonal changes, thyroid disruption, low birth weight and inflammatory bowel disease Medics have also issued similar warnings about avoiding non-stick pots and pans. Dr Poonam Desai, a US-based GP, previously said she opts for cast iron and stainless-steel pans because her family's health is her priority, In an Instagram video, she said: 'Scratched or chipped, nonstick cooking pans, can leech millions of micro plastics into our food.' The second product Mr Bosworth said he would never have in his home was scented plug-in air fresheners. 'I get it I've had them before, but they're toxic, they contain really bad chemicals,' he said. If then sprayed into your room in your house, as you breath them in, it can cause 'all sorts of health problems' he explained. 'You're spraying these in an enclosed space inside your house, so it's building up, building up, building up over time. 'And even though they might smell good, they can hurt you,' he warned. He explained that the danger is linked to a substance called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are tiny chemicals the sprays expel into the air which can then seep into your lungs. In the short term, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns they can then travel to the brain causing dizziness, headaches, concentration lapses and visual disorders. And long term exposure has been linked to heart and lung problems, fertility issues, hormonal imbalances and even cancer. The final product Mr Bosworth highlighted was the weedkiller Roundup with explaining it contains glyphosate and other toxic chemicals. 'Over the years it's been demonstrated over and over and over again, that there's a causative link between Roundup use and certain blood cancers,' he said. Roundup, originally made by company Monsanto, is the UK's most widely used weedkiller with the amount used in the agricultural sector rising by 16 per cent between 2016 and 2020, revealed an Ends Report. But since the 90s, studies have found its active ingredient glyphosate to be linked to liver and kidney disease, infertility, birth abnormalities and cancer. Bayer, the company which purchased Monsanto in 2018, has denied claims that Roundup or its active ingredient glyphosate causes cancer, claiming studies have shown the product is safe. However, there have been approximately 181,000 lawsuits filed against the weedkiller Roundup as of January this year, according to the Bayer website. In 2020, Monsanto agreed to pay almost $11billion (£8billion) to settle most Roundup cancer claims, and additional trials are expected to resume this year. In the UK, the controversial chemical glyphosate remains legal for use until December this year—when the government has to decide if it will approve its use for another 15 years. It follows an urgent warning from scientists last month after they found toxic chemicals in UK tampons. Experts tested 15 boxes of tampons from UK retailers across a range of popular brands including Tampax, Lil Lets, Superdrug, Tesco and Boots. Analysis revealed one sample, which has not been named, contained 0.004mg/kg of glyphosate – a toxic chemical that is the world's most popular weedkiller. While this may seem like a small amount, this is 40-times the level permitted in drinking water.
