Asked & Answered: PFAS Q&A with Kyla Bennett
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Elizabeth Duan | June 7, 2024
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are chemicals that are used commercially for their nonstick or waterproof properties. The problem is that they don’t readily break down and have been associated with harmful health conditions. Today, these chemicals can be found everywhere. ...
Talking Points: Summer 2024
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Elizabeth Duan | June 6, 2024
Astroturfing is bad for the environment — and not just metaphorically. New research suggests that athletes playing on artificial turf may be exposed to higher levels of toxic PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” than those who play on real grass, raising concerns about the safety of these ...
Texas Farmers Sue EPA for Alleged Inaction on Forever Chemicals
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Elizabeth Duan |
A group of five Texas farmers and ranchers sued the EPA on Thursday for its alleged failure to properly regulate PFAS in fertilizer. “EPA is avoiding its longstanding legal responsibility to protect our health and environment from PFAS in biosolids,” Kyla Bennett, science policy ...
Waste Land: America’s farmland is spread with sludge as concerns rise about contaminants
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Elizabeth Duan | June 5, 2024
America’s farmland is a dumping ground. Industrial food waste and sewage sludge are being spread on millions of acres nationwide. Some call it free fertilizer, rich in nutrients. Others say the practice should be halted due to threats from emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals, ...
Hazardous waste incinerators see PFAS disposal opportunity, emissions questions remain
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Elizabeth Duan |
The U.S. EPA’s updated its interim guidance for the tricky problem of how to dispose of PFAS waste has boosted interest in incineration, one of the agency’s sanctioned disposal methods. But research is still lacking on the pathways and effects of combustion byproducts. PFAS, a class of ...
Farmers concerned about ‘forever chemicals’ found in wastewater sludge
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Elizabeth Duan |
In Texas, five farmers are suing Synagro for providing fertilizer they said contaminated their water supply, affected their health, damaged their land and killed their livestock after a neighboring farmer spread it on his land. Dana Ames, an environmental crimes investigator with the ...