PFAS: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Summary

This video explores the dangers of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), chemicals used in products like non-stick cookware, waterproof fabrics, and fire retardants. Despite their widespread use, PFAS have been linked to serious health issues, including cancer and birth defects, and are known as 'forever chemicals' due to their long-lasting presence in the environment and human bodies. The video critiques the negligence of companies like DuPont and 3M, who continued to use these chemicals despite knowing their harmful effects. It calls for stronger regulations and corporate accountability to prevent further contamination and protect public health.

Takeaways

• 😀 PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are a class of harmful chemicals used in products like Teflon and Gore-Tex, known for their ability to make surfaces non-stick.
• 😷 Exposure to PFAS has been linked to various health issues, including cancer, high cholesterol, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and even decreased vaccine response.
• 🧪 PFAS are 'forever chemicals' with lifetimes of thousands of years, meaning they persist in the environment and accumulate in the human body over time.
• ⚠️ Major companies like DuPont and 3M knew about the dangers of PFAS but continued using them for decades, even after discovering their harmful effects.
• 💡 In the 1970s, DuPont and 3M tested workers and found that PFAS were already widespread in human blood, with nearly 100% of Americans now having trace amounts of PFAS in their bloodstream.
• 🏭 The chemical industry, including companies like DuPont, has been slow to acknowledge the harm caused by PFAS, opting instead for minimal action or switching to new, potentially equally harmful chemicals.
• 💧 PFAS contamination has affected communities near chemical plants, including cases where drinking water was contaminated with high levels, resulting in severe health problems for residents.
• 👶 In some cases, children have shown extremely high levels of PFAS in their blood, leading to health issues like vaccine ineffectiveness, with one case of a child having over 100 times the national average of PFAS in their blood.
• 🏠 In response to contamination, some companies are providing solutions like filtration systems, but these are often expensive, complicated, and not a practical long-term solution for everyone.
• 📉 There is a need for stricter legislation and regulation to address PFAS contamination, requiring companies to phase out these chemicals and ensuring that replacements are properly tested and regulated.

Q & A

What are PFAS, and why are they called 'forever chemicals'?

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of chemicals used in various products like Teflon and Gore-Tex due to their ability to create non-stick surfaces. They are called 'forever chemicals' because they do not break down in the environment and persist for thousands of years.

What health issues have been linked to high exposure to PFAS?

High exposure to PFAS has been linked to health problems such as high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, thyroid disease, testicular and kidney cancer, and decreased response to vaccines.

How did DuPont and 3M respond to the dangers of PFAS in the past?

DuPont and 3M were aware of the harmful effects of PFAS but ignored warnings and continued using them in products like Teflon. They also actively avoided switching to safer alternatives, prioritizing profits over health and environmental safety.

What was the 1991 warning DuPont ignored regarding PFAS?

In 1991, 3M warned DuPont not to put PFAS in waterways, but DuPont continued to dump large amounts of the chemical into the environment, losing track of how much had been released.

Why did DuPont continue to use PFAS in their products despite knowing the risks?

DuPont continued using PFAS because Teflon was a highly profitable product for the company, generating about a billion dollars in annual revenue. They chose to ignore the health risks to preserve their bottom line.

What was the EPA's role in regulating PFAS, and how effective was it?

The EPA's role in regulating PFAS has been limited. Under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, the EPA could only act when evidence of harm was provided, which allowed chemical companies to largely regulate themselves. Even when they did act, their advisories were non-enforceable.

How did DuPont's plant affect local residents and workers?

Residents near DuPont's plant and workers inside the facility had significantly higher rates of kidney and testicular cancers, as well as other health issues like ulcerative colitis, due to exposure to PFAS in drinking water and the workplace.

What shocking discovery was made when testing for PFAS in blood samples?

It was discovered that PFAS chemicals were present in the blood of nearly everyone tested globally, including children and adults, with the exception of some archived blood samples from the Korean War era, showing that these chemicals had contaminated the world.

How did PFAS exposure impact a family in Michigan, and what was the result of their water testing?

A family in Michigan had their water tested and found nearly 2,000 parts per trillion of PFAS in their water, which is vastly higher than the EPA's acceptable level. Their child was found to have the highest recorded level of PFAS in a U.S. child, leading to health issues, including poor vaccine responses.

What measures were taken to address PFAS contamination in the Michigan community?

Wolverine, the company responsible for the contamination, eventually switched the family's water supply to the municipal system after they installed a complex filtration system. However, the issue of widespread contamination remains unresolved.

What steps should be taken to address the PFAS issue moving forward?

Legislation limiting the use of PFAS to essential items and regulating them as an entire class of chemicals, rather than individually, is crucial for effective control. Consumers should be more aware of which products contain PFAS, but industry-wide change is needed to prevent further contamination.