Pus​hing Textiles  Forward through technology-

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                                                                                                                                                                    9/4/2024


​Perfluorooctanic Acid (PFOAs) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), known as PFAs and C8, are forever chemicals that are used in everyday products. PFA's are no longer manufactured in the United States.  PFA's however, are imported in carpet, leather, apparel, textiles, packaging, coatings, rubber and plastics.  More specifically, pizza boxes, microwave popcorn, yoga pants, sandwich and snack bags, dental floss, shampoo, cosmetics, period products, incontinence products, fire fighter foam, lubricant for drill bits used during fracking.  High levels of exposure results in:  birth defects, liver damage, cancer.


PFOA and PFOS  are made up of a chain of carbon (C8) and fluorine atoms, whose bond is one of the strongest ever created.  Carbon-Fluorine bond strength is the result of the electronegativity of fluorine and its relative attraction to carbon.  The strength of this bond give PFAs  properties that work for non-stick surfaces and textiles that are water and stain resistant.  The strength of this bond also makes the chemical hard to break down.  Since the chemical bond endures, the chemicals-which are highly toxic-accumulate in our water, soil and bodies.  Recent EPA federal mandate limits the level of six PFAs in tap water.  1/5 of Americans' PFAs exposure comes from water.  Other exposure comes from contamination at manufacturing sites and from consumer product imports. PFAs are used in many manufacturing facilities as surfactants that reduce surface tension and contaminate product being manufactured.  This unintentional contamination is common.  


Settlements


High contamination in areas where manufacturing of PFAs occurred is evidenced by highly contaminated water and health issues including thyroid hormone issues, gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.  Taconic Plastics in
Petersburgh, NY, where teflon was used in manufacturing, is one such area plagued by PFA related contamination and health issues. Taconic Plastics was a manufacturer of teflon coated fabrics and tape.  A class action suit was settled in  2021 for the  contamination of the area's drinking water with PFAs.  The settlement was $23.5 million.


Another high contamination site is Parkerburg, WV where Dupont manufactured Teflon. Contamination at manufacturing sites such as the teflon manufacturing plant in Parkersburg, WV have resulted in large settlements for clean up and damages. $671 million dollars was awarded to settle 3500 lawsuits filed over contamination from the  Parkersburg, WV plant. 


The State of Ohio was awarded a $110 million settlement to repair damage done by the Parkersburg, WV teflon manufacturing plant that dumped PFAs in the Ohio River and dumped contaminated soil in sludge pits. This settlement included the execution of a study titled C8 that studied almost 70,000 participants and resulted participants knowing their PFA levels that can support future settlements and further study for the population.​


EPA will use the Superfund Act to hold polluters financially responsible for clean up.  3M settled with a $10.3 Billion payout to clean up water contaminated with PFAs in 13 U.S. cities.
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​History of PFAs​

Teflon was first discovered in a Dupont Lab in 1938.  Chemicals being tested for use in refrigeration were noted as having other useful qualities including: heat resistance, chemically inert (non-reactive and slow to decompose) and low surface friction.  These qualities prevented other substances from sticking to it.  In 1951 Teflon bakeware was introduced.  

Fire fighting foam containing PFAs was developed with Navy Scientists and 3M and was patented in 1966.

Gore-Tex, also containing PFAs was developed in 1969 and is used for waterproofing, commonly known as durable water repellent (DWR).


Clean up


In Petersburgh, NY where Taconic Plastics made teflon coated fabrics and tape used a granular activated carbon filtration system with much success.  Smaller point of entry filtration systems were installed in private wells. 


​Look for BPI logo on containers and avoid textiles that advertise water proof and stain proof, but are not PFA free.  Use a carbon filtration water filter like Brita in your house.



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PFA's         C8