SGS PFAS November Update: Your Monthly PFAS E-Newsletter

This November, the persistent issue of PFAS remains at the forefront of environmental and health concerns, reported across the United States and globally. As awareness grows, so does the urgency to address the far-reaching implications of these persistent chemicals. This month’s newsletter dives into the ongoing developments in North America with PFAS found in common grocery items, and recent findings of high levels in Australian dolphins. Click below for critical updates and pressing issues surrounding PFAS in our November edition. 

Breaking PFAS News 

SGS PFAS data spanning 2009-2021 featured in Environment Canada’s newly published article on PFAS in Canadian municipal wastewater and biosolids 

We have been working on PFAS a long time, well before they were even called PFAS. Our continuous support of Canadian wastewater treatment plant monitoring is featured in this study published by Gewurtz et. al. 2023 (Science of the Total Environment). It’s been such a privilege to have supported this study for nearly 15 years! Click through to read this freely available article! 

Extending Beyond 40! 

We have been busy extending our target lists on PFAS past 1633. While we currently offer extended PFAS monitoring on ultrashort PFAS and fluorotelomer alcohols, watch this space for an exciting announcement on a significant PFAS target list expansion! 

Click on SGS PFAS/emerging contaminants analysis capabilities, and see why SGS delivers what you need every step of way.

To find out how we can best help you with your PFAS analysis, call +1 800 329 0204 or email PFAS.Expert@sgs.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

The SGS PFAS Team

Global

‘Forever chemicals’ found in drinking water sources across England 

Potentially toxic “forever chemicals” have been detected in the drinking water sources at 17 of 18 England’s water companies, with 11,853 samples testing positive, something experts say they are “extremely alarmed” by. 

Forever Chemicals in Rainwater: A Global Threat to Human Health 

The presence of “Forever Chemicals” or Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in rainwater has emerged as a significant environmental concern. These chemicals are so named due to their persistent nature, and recent studies indicate their alarming ubiquity in our environment, particularly in rainwater, posing risks to human health and ecosystems. This widespread contamination underscores the urgency for immediate action and deeper research into the long-term effects of PFAS on our planet and our health. 

Australian dolphins have the world’s highest concentrations of ‘forever chemicals’ 

As predators at the top of the food chain, dolphins tend to accumulate and magnify high levels of toxins and other chemicals in their bodies. So health problems in dolphins can be a warning that all is not well in the system as a whole. One group of persistent pollutants has been dubbed “forever chemicals” because they almost never break down in the environment. 

United States 

U.S. Military Says National Security Depends on ‘Forever Chemicals’ 

The Department of Defense relies on hundreds, if not thousands, of weapons and products such as uniforms, batteries, and microelectronics that contain PFAS, a family of chemicals linked to serious health conditions. Now, as regulators propose restrictions on their use or manufacturing, Pentagon officials have told Congress that eliminating the chemicals would undermine military readiness. 

Researchers ‘stunned’ to find dangerous chemicals in a common produce aisle staple 

Now a pilot study has found toxic “forever chemicals” in kale samples — especially organic ones — though its authors present this as a critique of chemical pervasiveness, not an anti-kale attack. The nonprofit Alliance for Natural Health USA (ANH) tested supermarket kale from four states and detected the toxic chemicals in seven of eight samples. 

Most Americans Know Little About Harmful PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ 

Nearly half of Americans have never heard of health-threatening PFAS “forever chemicals,” a new survey has found. “This is the first survey of its kind, and what we found is that the vast majority of people do not have a clear understanding of PFAS,” said lead researcher Allen Berthold, interim director of the university’s Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI). 

How Companies Can Address Forever Chemicals And Tap Water Problems 

Recently released research by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) revealing that at least 45% of the tap water in the U.S. is contaminated by “forever chemicals” generated headlines across the country. Unfortunately, that is just one aspect of the troubling drinking water story. 

Arizona 

Tucson Water receives federal funding to combat PFAS, construct new water treatment facility 

Local and regional water leaders gathered at the Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Tucson, on Thursday, Nov. 16, to celebrate investments made into the city’s water infrastructure. This month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $30 million investment to combat existing and emerging contaminants in Tucson’s aquifer known as PFAS.  

Florida 

We Traced the Forever Chemicals Getting Into Ocean Ecosystems 

PFAS, the “forever chemicals” that have been raising health concerns across the country, are not just a problem in drinking water. As these chemicals leach out of failing septic systems and landfills and wash off airport runways and farm fields, they can end up in streams that ultimately discharge into ocean ecosystems where fish, dolphins, manatees, sharks and other marine species live. 

Kentucky 

Two places in Kentucky have high rates of PFAS. Here’s what officials are doing about it  

In the latest round of testing for forever chemicals, the Kentucky Division of Water discovered high rates in two communities. Now, municipal leaders are working with state officials to try and fix it. 

North Carolina 

UN human rights experts express alarm over PFAS pollution in North Carolina 

A new investigation by human rights experts appointed by the United Nations has expressed alarm at evidence of pollution from a North Carolina PFAS manufacturing plant, describing it as “alleged human rights violations and abuses against residents”. The ongoing PFAS crisis in North Carolina has been linked to a Fayetteville Works plant operated by Chemours, a chemical giant that was spun off from DuPont in 2015. 

Oregon 

Projects to restore Columbia River Basin health in Oregon get $31 million 

Oregon tribes, state agencies, farmers and ranchers are getting more than $31 million from the federal government to reduce toxic pollution in the Columbia River and its tributaries. It’s the last of $79 million that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dedicated to improving the health of the Columbia River Basin since 2021, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will get $6 million to reduce the amount of agricultural pesticides, mercury and PFAS.