'Forever Chemicals' Ban Could Impact Millions of Americans

Pennsylvania has proposed a ban on the use of "forever chemicals" in a variety of products.

The proposed House Bill 2238, which has not yet been passed, hopes to outlaw the use of PFAS chemicals in cleaning products, carpets, cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, food packaging, infant and children's products, menstrual products, and textiles, among others, by 2027.

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"It is literally in just about every consumer product that we use and as a result of that 95 percent of us in the United States actually have some trace level of PFAS in our system," said state Rep. Josh Siegel, (D)-District 22, local news WFMZ 69 News reports.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a type of man-made chemicals that have been used in a wide variety of products since the mid 20th-century, including non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foams, thanks to their resistance to heat, water, and oil.

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They are often called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down easily in the environment, and have been discovered in soils, oceans and rivers around the world. About half of all U.S. tap water was found to contain some PFAS chemicals in a 2023 study by the U.S. Geological Survey, with New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania having the highest level of contamination.

"Because of the ubiquitous presence of PFAS in our environment, including water, soil and food, almost the entire population is exposed on a daily basis and it is thus difficult to completely avoid exposure," Maaike van Gerwen, director of research for the Department of Otolaryngology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Newsweek.

PFAS have also been found to be able to pass into the body via the skin, and be present in the blood of most Americans. Research has indicated that exposure to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health effects, including developmental effects in infants and children, immune system effects, liver and kidney damage, and increased risk of certain cancers.

"A major source of PFAS exposure are the products we use—in food packaging; in our clothing, carpets and furniture; in personal care products and cosmetics and so many more. Pennsylvanians should be able to trust the products being sold on the shelves are safe, and the protections offered in HB 2238 are long overdue," Stephanie Wein, clean water and conservation advocate for PennEnvironment, said in a statement. "Whether Pennsylvanians are heading out on the soccer field, frying an egg, microwaving popcorn or buying baby supplies, we shouldn't need to worry about being exposed to toxic 'forever chemicals' that threaten our family's health."

House Bill 2238 would also ban the sale of PFAS-containing waterproof outdoor clothing in Pennsylvania by 2029, and also prevent PFAS from being added to other products from 2033 onwards, exempting certain products like medical devices.

"It gives them time basically to get ready for the prohibition," Seigel said.

However, the bill has been met with some opposition.

"While the bill's intention is admirable, absent federal regulations on PFAS, some of the provisions would be unenforceable. For example, it talks about online sales and it's doubtful that the DEP has the resources necessary to police those sorts of sales. Additionally, the bill gives wide latitude to DEP, allowing them to set fees that, due to the potential impact, could be more of a tax than a fee," Republican state Sen. Jarrett Coleman told local news WFMZ 69 News.

The bill is yet to make it to the floor to be voted on, with Seigel noting that more work needs to be done to address the concerns of those opposed.

"One of my roles here is to work to make the bill palatable and passable by removing some of the industry components that would actually be unintentionally affected by this legislation," Seigel said.

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