PFAS were released from the sites, resulting in contamination of groundwater and nearby drinking water wells.
The latest update of this interactive map documents PFAS pollution in public and private water systems. The FDA said in a statement that it has received Bilott’s letter “and is reviewing it at this time.”PFAS chemicals have been linked to a range of health risks including cancer, thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, immune-system issues, and developmental problems in fetuses.News for the next era, not just the next hourMultinational manufacturer 3M, which developed two types of industrial chemical now found in the blood of virtually all Americans, has known since 2001 that those chemicals were entering the food supply, according to a newly surfaced study.“However, with the decrease in production and use of certain PFAS, levels in humans in the US have been declining,” the FDA added.In a statement to Quartz, 3M said it published the report in 2001 and “shared this report with the EPA within seven days,” adding, “This report is one of thousands of documents we have placed in the public domain related to the study of PFAS chemistries. These are two of the legacy PFAS compounds that are no longer produced or used in the United States or Europe.What’s more, even though PFOA and PFOS have been phased out of production under pressure from the EPA, they were used in large volume for decades and have been detected at hundreds of contaminated sites. Recent testing of 25 public water systems by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey found a complex mixture of different PFAS chemicals in all the systems, indicating that Americans are exposed to many different PFAS in drinking water. Research has shown that the levels of PFOS and PFOA in the general population have dropped by more than 70 percent since 2000.While some research has indicated possible associations with certain biomarkers or health outcomes in people for PFOA and PFOS, results across studies examining these endpoints have found either inconsistent or conflicting observations and do not show causation. This post was updated on Wednesday, September 11, 2019Pregnancy-induced hypertension & preeclampsiaPremature birth or low birth weightWhile the 3M website focuses on the phaseout of two kinds of PFAS, the company fails to acknowledge that more than 600 other PFAS chemicals have been reported as active in commerce over the past decade.Asthma or chronic obstructive airways diseaseFor decades, 3M was a leading producer of the toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS. However, the weight of scientific evidence does not show that PFOS or PFOA causes harm to the environment or people at current or historical levels. 3M and other leading experts around the world continue to research PFAS to look for potential health issues.Neurodevelopmental disorders in childrenFor example, 3M and others have done decades of research on possible health effects of PFOS and PFOA exposure in animals and people.
As early as the 1950s, 3M’s own studies showed that PFAS chemicals built up in blood, and by the 1960s, 3M’s own animal studies showed the potential for harm. We will continue to engage with members of our communities, elected officials and regulators to share information about these chemistries,” 3M wrote.
Both 3M and DuPont have ceased production of PFOA and PFAS in the US, but DuPont continues to manufacture it in China. Because even the chemicals that have been phased out never break down in the environment, even releases from decades ago continue to put people at risk if they haven’t been cleaned up.Although certain PFAS have been detected in the environment at low levels, their mere presence does not mean they’re harmful. Wastes containing perfluoro-alkyl substances (PFAS), also known as perfluorochemicals (PFCs), were disposed of by the 3M Company at the 3M disposal sites in Oakdale, Woodbury, and Cottage Grove, and the former Washington County Landfill in Lake Elmo. The extent of American communities’ confirmed contamination with the highly toxic fluorinated compounds known as PFAS continues to grow at an alarming rate.
Clicking on a circle brings up detailed information, including contamination levels.