Forever Chemicals Everywhere

PEER works to protect public health and wildlife from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. Unfortunately, the absence of enforceable federal health and environmental standards for PFAS poses a significant and growing threat to our health, water, and soil. A key cause for concern is that these so-called “forever chemicals” do not break down in the environment, many of which are toxic, and some bio-accumulate in the food chain — and in us.

PFAS are used as fire retardants and repellents; in consumer products, such as furniture, take-out containers, and non-stick cookware; and have many other applications. Human exposure to PFAS is associated with cancer, birth defects, developmental damage to infants, and impaired functioning of the liver, kidneys, and immune system.

Yet, an estimated 200 million Americans are drinking water contaminated with PFAS, and PFAS have also been found in grocery store meats, milk, seafood, bottled water, as well as in wild fish and game. Studies have also found PFAS in the bloodstream of 99% of Americans.

Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) knows of about 13,000 types of PFAS, it has only proposed drinking water limits on sixPFAS in drinking water and two PFAS under the Superfund hazardous waste cleanup program Much more needs to be done.

PEER is urging EPA to regulate PFAS as a class of chemicals and to classify waste contaminated with PFAS as a hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), so that it can be more safely managed during generation, transportation, and disposal. In addition, PEER continues to expose how EPA violates its own scientific integrity norms and guidance in approving PFAS chemicals for use. We also work vigorously to release to the public information on PFAS that EPA tries to keep hidden from the public.

PFAS News and Resources

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NEWS FROM PEER

COMMENTARY | PFAS Endangering Our Food Supply

PEER is engaged in several efforts to prevent toxic PFAS from contaminating our food chain. Unfortunately, EPA is ...

Webinar | Saving Farmland: Battling Toxic PFAS in Biosolids in Texas and Beyond

Learn how millions of tons of sewage sludge (or biosolids) are contaminating American farmland with toxic PFAS chemicals.

Why PFAS in Biosolids Threatens Our Food Supply and Farming Communities Throughout the United States

Every year, millions of tons of PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge, or biosolids, are applied to land as fertilizer ...

Devastation on the Ranch: PFAS in Biosolids

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency faces a federal lawsuit over its failure to prevent toxic per and ...

EPA Flees PFAS Biosolids Contamination Crisis

EPA Ducks Responsibility to Regulate Toxic Sewage Sludge Fertilizer

PEERMail | Important Advocacy Updates: Driving Change Together

We've joined forces with our partners to champion several critical causes and address key concerns brought to us ...

VIDEO | PFAS in Our Waste with Kyla Bennett

In this one-on-one 30-minute virtual conversation Just Zero's Senior Scientist, Laura Orlando, is joined by Kyla ...

VIDEO | PEER Stands Up for Communities

PEER board member Ewell Hopkins shares the story of PEER's role in protecting his community from the influence of ...

PEERMail | Take Action Now, Sign Our Petitions!

Support our work by signing and sharing these important petitions! Each one comes from an issue or concern brought ...

PETITION | Tell EPA To Get PFAS Out of Pesticides

Petition telling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban the distribution of all pesticides containing PFAS.

New Suit Targets EPA Inaction on PFOA in Plastic Containers

EPA Sued for Failure to Implement TSCA Directive to Prevent Significant and Serious or Widespread Risks to Health

PEERMail | Energy in the Air

We've had an active and exciting month - EPA responded to our concerns over the presence of PFAS in plastic ...

New Study Finds Alarming Rise in Persistent ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Pesticides

PFAS From Pesticide Products Detected in Rivers, Streams Throughout United States

Lawsuit to Prevent PFAS in Biosolid Fertilizer Expands

MOFGA and Johnson County, TX to join lawsuit against EPA seeking to limit PFAS levels in sewage sludge spread on ...

COMMENTARY | EPA Lacks a PFAS Containment Strategy

To stop the forever chemical crisis, EPA must interrupt the flow of PFAS reaching our water, soil, and food chain ...

COMMENTARY | EPA’s Effort to Misrepresent Pesticide Tests Backfires

EPA’s Effort to Misrepresent Pesticide Tests Backfires This commentary was originally published in the Summer ...

PEERMail | Wrapping Our Heads Around Plastics

Progress in addressing the plastics problem has been frustratingly slow due to government inaction. However, we ...

IG Blasts EPA’s Lack of Scientific Integrity Procedures

Still No Rules for Addressing Political Interference Tainting Agency Science

PEERMail | We’re Suing to Protect Farmers

EPA must stop dithering and move quickly to protect America’s farmers and our food supply from these toxic chemicals.

PETITION | Save America’s Farms from Toxic Contamination

Petition to the Environmental Protection Agency to take immediate action to save American farms from being ...
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