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 persistent, human-made chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have contaminated soil and groundwater across the country. Some types of PFAS have been linked to a range of serious health issues, including testicular and kidney cancer, liver damage, immune suppression, birth defects, preeclampsia and increased cholesterol.
The need to get rid of PFAS waste is increasingly necessary as the agency moves to regulate the chemicals on multiple fronts. It’s also a matter of growing public concern. A 2023 analysis by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, an advocacy group, found that industries in the U.S. disposed of at least 60 million pounds of PFAS waste over the past five years.