Sustainability Email Challenge: PFAs

PFAS and the Environment

PFAS contamination is a global issue, affecting every part of the ecosystem:

• Waterways: PFAS spread easily in water, polluting rivers, lakes, and drinking water sources.
• Soil: These chemicals persist in the ground, making it difficult to restore contaminated areas.
• Wildlife: PFAS accumulate in fish, birds, and mammals, disrupting food chains and ecosystems.

Did You Know?
PFAS have even been found in remote locations like the Arctic and deep oceans, demonstrating their ability to travel far and wide.

Can We Clean Up PFAS?

Scientists and researchers are working on solutions to address PFAS contamination, including:

• Advanced water filtration: Technologies like activated carbon and reverse osmosis can remove PFAS from drinking water.
• Soil remediation: Researchers are exploring ways to extract or neutralize PFAS in contaminated soil.
• Destruction methods: Emerging technologies aim to break down PFAS into less harmful components, but scaling these methods remains a challenge.

While progress is being made, much work is still needed to effectively combat this issue.

The Cost of Contamination: Understanding the Economic Impact of PFAS

Beyond environmental and health impacts, PFAS contamination comes with significant economic costs:

• Cleanup Costs: Municipalities spend millions on advanced filtration systems and environmental remediation to address contaminated water and soil.
• Healthcare Expenses: Communities exposed to PFAS face increased healthcare costs due to related illnesses, such as cancer and immune system disorders.
• Legal Settlements: Companies responsible for PFAS contamination are involved in billion-dollar lawsuits, with settlements often passed on to consumers.
• Economic Losses: Contaminated agricultural land and water supplies can harm local industries and reduce property values.

These costs underscore the urgent need for stronger regulations and sustainable alternatives to PFAS.

Your Action for Today

Find out if PFAS contamination has been reported in your area. You can use public databases like the Environmental Working Group’s PFAS Contamination Map to see if your community is affected.

Library Resource

Dive deeper into PFAS and cleanup efforts with our PFAs LibGuide. It’s packed with studies and resources on pollution mitigation and emerging technologies. Additionally, articles like this and this (available for students, staff, and faculty through our library catalog), or books such as this, can help you explore this important topic in-depth.

Tomorrow, we’ll focus on reducing your personal exposure to PFAS and making safer choices in your daily life. Together, we can tackle this challenge!

Additional optional research may be found here, here and here.