Campaigning for clean water and a healthy environment for humans and wildlife
Links to detailed information on PFAS
By Sarah DeWeerdt
Published February 10, 2026
Increasing concerns surround PFAS in products from wastewater treatment plants. How great a risk do they pose, and are there feasible approaches to removing them? We continue our occasional series on water quality and wastewater management in Puget Sound. Funding for the series is provided in part by King County.
By Andrew J.B. Cohen, PhD
New Jersey Institute of Technology
February 16, 2021
Presented at the Hugo Neu New Corporation Sustainability Seminar Series
Stevens Institute of Technology
by Hadeer Saleh, Dibyendu Sarkar, Zhiming Zhang, Michel Boufadel, and Rupali Datta.
Urban stormwater runoff is increasingly recognized as a critical but underexplored pathway for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to enter aquatic environments. This work investigated the occurrence and behavior of 40 PFAS compounds in stormwater runoff entering a roadside rain garden in Secaucus, New Jersey, during six storm events between August 2023 and July 2024. Total PFAS concentrations (Σ40 PFAS) ranged from 1437 to 1615 ng/L, with perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS, 239–303 ng/L) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA, 115–137 ng/L) consistently emerging as dominant species. Perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs) together accounted for over 70% of the total PFAS mass. Despite its intended role in water quality improvement, the rain garden showed no measurable change in PFAS concentrations (differences of only 0.03–1.10%). These findings highlight the persistence and mobility of PFAS in urban stormwater runoff and the limited efficacy of conventional green infrastructure in mitigating PFAS contamination. Furthermore, they underscore the ineffectiveness of conventional green infrastructure for PFAS mitigation and the urgent need for advanced treatment technologies integrated into urban water management frameworks.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are human-made substances used in thousands of products, from medical devices to fire-fighting foam to oil- and stain-resistant coatings on carpets and packaging. They help make these products resistant to heat, water, stains, and grease. However, research over the past several decades has found evidence that PFAS persist in the environment for long periods of time, potentially leading to harmful human exposures.
Continue reading “Federal Government Human Health PFAS Research Workshop: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief (2021)”June 4, 2025
Dept. of Ecology
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology is proposing a rule to restrict the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – better known as PFAS – in common consumer products including clothing, cleaning products and car wash soap. The rule would also require manufacturers to report if they use PFAS in nine other product categories.
Continue reading “News Release – State proposes restrictions on toxic “forever chemicals” in common consumer products”Environmental Protection Agency
Updated October 3, 2024
EPA is committed to providing meaningful, understandable, and actionable information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS – to the American public. The information provided here is intended to explain some of the important background information needed to understand the details of specific actions EPA takes to address PFAS, and other emerging events related to PFAS.
May 3, 2025
By Conrad Swanson
Seattle Times climate reporter
February 25, 2025
Beth Greenfield
Link to full Fortune article:
https://fortune.com/well/2025/02/26/drinking-water-hazardous-chemicals
Between the ongoing controversy around fluoridated water and the recent discovery of a chemical in our water systems that may or may not be toxic, the safety of American drinking water is murky, to say the least.
Continue reading “The truth about American drinking water: Report shows widespread presence of hazardous chemicals”The agency obtained research from 3M in 2003 revealing that sewage sludge, the raw material for the fertilizer, carried toxic “forever chemicals.”
The author reviewed thousands of pages of decades-old documents to report this article.
By Hiroko Tabuchi
Dec. 27, 2024
In early 2000, scientists at 3M, the chemicals giant, made a startling discovery: High levels of PFAS, the virtually indestructible “forever chemicals” used in nonstick pans, stain-resistant carpets and many other products were turning up in the nation’s sewage.
Continue reading “The E.P.A. Promotes Toxic Fertilizer. 3M Told It of Risks Years Ago.”by Cathy Hamilton-Wissmer
November 1, 2024
In May 2024, our Safer Products for Washington team identified a new set of toxic chemicals in everyday consumer products. That’s important because it gives us an opportunity to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and prevent their release into the environment. We want your feedback on the products we’ve identified as significant sources of these toxic chemicals.
Continue reading “From tires to nail polish, we’re studying a new round of consumer products with toxic chemicals”As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s commitment to safeguard the environment from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the agency uses its Clean Water Act authorities to develop recommended water quality criteria and informational benchmarks to help states and authorized Tribes protect aquatic ecosystems from several PFAS.
Environmental Protection Agency
October 1, 2024
Provide early input on Ecology’s preliminary draft rule
Cathy Hamilton-Wissmer
Sep 18, 2024
https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/september-2024/new-rule-will-reduce-pfas-exposure
CNN —
There are chemicals in cookware, food, water, clothes and furniture that could cause problems for people’s health.
These PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they don’t fully break down in the environment — have been used in consumer products since the 1950s.
By Madeline Holcombe, CNN
Mon September 9, 2024
Link to article and video:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/health/pfas-explainer-wellness/index.html?cid=ios_app
Posted: August 15, 2024
