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Senate Subcommittee Holds Hearing To Examine the Public Health Impacts from PFAS
The Senate Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight within the Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on December 5 titled “Examining the Public Health Impacts of PFAS Exposures.” The hearing addressed how Congress should engage with policy-making to regulate PFAS to limit harm to human health.
Among the witnesses present at the subcommittee hearing were Laurel Schaider, a Senior Scientist of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering at the Silent Spring Institute; Sue Fenton, Director of the Center for Human Health and the Environment and Professor of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University; and Michael D. Larrañaga, President and Managing Principal at R.E.M. Risk Consultants.
Subcommittee Chair Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) opened the hearing by discussing the threat that PFAS pose to human health. Merkely noted that PFAS are nearly inescapable, as they are present in consumer goods, agriculture and industry. PFAS were developed in the 1940’s and were widely used in the manufacturing of goods across the American economy by 1960. In 1980, the Dupont chemical company abruptly prohibited women from working with PFAS chemicals because eight women who became pregnant while working with these chemicals gave birth to children with an array of birth defects. Merkley called for more extensive monitoring data to be available to Congress so that policy can better address the long-lasting health issues that PFAS create.
Ranking Member Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) took a broader view on the potential harms of human exposure to PFAS, focusing on how critical PFAS are to the longevity and durability of materials produced by American manufacturers. Mullin expressed concern that legislation to limit the use of PFAS in American manufacturing would be rushed, leading to policy that harms rural and low income American families, as well as the economy.
There were two lines of questions during the hearing, one being the long-term effects of human exposure to PFAS and critical uses of PFAS containing products, and on the other on why legislation imposing limits on PFAS chemical use should be carefully constructed. Chairman Merkley (D-OR) guided the discussion around human health impacts from PFAS exposure, while Sen. Mullin (R-OK) demonstrated more concern for limitations of use of PFAS chemicals and how that would impact the critical materials produced and used in the United States.
Sen. Merkley (D-OR) invited the panel of witnesses to discuss the use of PFAS in Teflon products and other consumer goods. Sens. Markey (D-MA) and Carper (D-DE) conducted similar lines of inquiry, with Fenton and Schaider providing answers. They explained that when subjected to high heat, the long polymer coating that lines Teflon pans breaks down, releasing smaller molecules that make their way into whatever item is being prepared for consumption. This release also happens with continued use over time. Schaider noted that Teflon is still able to use PFAS chemicals in products sold to consumers because the current Teflon coating consists of a newer class of PFAS chemicals that is less regulated. Because less bioaccumulation of these new PFAS has occurred in humans, and there is less available data, it is difficult to determine negative health outcomes.
Sen. Merkley asked Fenton about the long-term health effects of PFAS. She said that PFAS can be found at many stages of life, from birth, adolescence and full maturity in both humans and animals. PFAS measures at the highest level in humans born in 1992 to 2004, so it is likely that individuals from this generation are going to endure a larger burden from PFAS exposure. Common pathways of PFAS exposure occur from consumption of contaminated drinking water, breast milk from nursing mothers, and food items. Long term exposure to PFAS leads to induced obesity, abnormalities in the cycle of puberty, smaller birth weight, suppression of the immune system, and fatty liver and thyroid diseases.
Sen. Mullin placed emphasis on the use of PFAS in critical products such as fire foam and semiconductors, concerns that were echoed by Sen. Wicker (R-MS). Questioning Larrañaga, Sen. Mullin asked how critical weapons systems would be impacted by imposing limits on the use of PFAS. Larrañaga highlighted the use of PFAS in wiring used in navigation systems for ships, planes, drones and semiconductors, stating that the PTFE class of PFAS chemicals used in wiring does not bioaccumulate unless heated to extremely high temperatures. Less efficient ships, planes, drones, and semiconductors place defense systems and technology at risk. Sen. Mullin also asked about the use of PFAS in firefighting foams. Larrañaga spoke of a chemical fire that took place in Illinois, stating that without the use of 30 pounds of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, 60 million pounds of toxic emissions would be released into the air. In response, Fenton pointed out that the manufacturing of firefighting foams without the inclusion of PFAS chemicals is possible. Companies that used to manufacture PFAS-containing firefighting foams have been able to remove PFAS chemicals from their products while still providing safer and effective alternatives.
When prompted by Sen. Merkley to describe potential policy measures that could mitigate PFAS exposure and the accompanying effects, Schaider suggested that the government should ensure proper disposal of waste created by the production of materials containing PFAS. Fenton also proposed that goods containing PFAS should include labeling to notify the consumer. The recommended policy proposals target the most common pathways of human exposure to PFAS, while maintaining use in items critical to the infrastructure of America.
Reported by NEMWI Intern Chloe Kimrey, University of Michigan
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