This is the first of three blog entries regarding PFAS and sustainable energy. The first installment will cover the problem of PFAS and what it is, the second blog will cover the problems with increasing amounts of bio-waste, and the last installment will cover some of the solutions to the problems presented. 

Overall, the problem we face is that we live in a world where people tend to fend for themselves first. A world where money is the motivator for all things. We live in a world where greed rules over us. The Dupont corporation is one of the many greedy, but in this case, it is at the expense of human health, wellbeing, survival, and happiness. Have you ever heard of Teflon? Even if you haven’t, you sure do use it. Teflon was once regarded as a wonder chemical. It was used in cookware, carpets, clothes, firefighting foam, hair products and more. The idea is that Teflon reduces friction without reacting to anything. This allows for pans to stay slippery, carpets to stay stain-free, and fires to be smoldered. 

The problem with Teflon is that it contains Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, also known as PFAS. “PFAS are a large, complex, and ever-expanding group of manufactured chemicals that are widely used to make various types of everyday products” (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl). These PFAS consist of long strands of carbon-fluorine bonds. As we have learned in chemistry class, carbon-fluorine bonds are the strongest bonds that exist in the known universe. This means that PFAS do not break down by themselves in nature. They are so strong in-fact, that scientists cannot even calculate PFAS half life or the time that it takes for 50% of a substance to degrade. 

At this point in this blog, PFAS do not seem to be a problem, they are incredibly beneficial, cheap to produce, and they don’t break down. The issue is that they are incredibly dangerous to human life. When the Dupont corporation was beginning to manufacture PFAS, they discovered that it had the ability to easily mutate cells. The study was conducted by officials within the Dupont corporation, but the data had been covered up. The Dupont corporation was making too much money for them to willingly stop production, even if the PFAS was harmful to the public. Years later, people began to see the effects of PFAS. The families of the people producing the Teflon began to give birth to their children. All of the newborn children had severe birth defects. “The children were born with single nostrils, serrated eyelids and keyhole pupils where their iris and retina were detached” (Wilson). The animals in the nearby farms also began to show illness and birth defects. 

Families began to piece the puzzle together and started to attack the Dupont corporation. These attacks went on for years with little change from Dupont. After many years the Dupont corporation finally released documents stating that PFAS was directly linked to six diseases. These diseases included: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, preeclampsia and high cholesterol. Today, the Dupont corporation has been hit with over 3,500 lawsuits regarding the inclusion of PFAS in Teflon (Wilson). Many of these cases have been solved, but there are many more still pending. After Dupont started to lose a high volume of cases, they decided to phase out their PFAS named “C-8” in 2015. Today they continue to produce Teflon using a similar but different PFAS named Gen-X. Gen-X once again has been claimed to be safe for the public, but early studies have already linked it to the creation of tumors in rats. 

At this point, PFAS has already made it to every corner of the world. Other companies are creating their own PFAS, Dupont is modifying theirs, and it is found in the air, the fish, the humans, the plants, and the ground. It has been measured that over 99% of Americans have been found to have PFAS in their bloodstream. It is quite literally coursing through the veins of almost every single person on this planet. This is a serious problem. Teflon continues to be used in shampoo, dry-fit clothing, household plumbing, carpet, sheets, cookware, and more everyday items. It also doesn’t help that Dupont’s new Gen-X chemical is already being found in high volumes in American water supplies. The problem doesn’t seem like it will be ending anytime soon. We, as a society, are at the point where the levels of PFAS are preventing us from farming in certain areas, eating certain animals, and the inability to survive in ways we used to be able to. 

Currently, the government is starting to research PFAS more heavily. PFAS’s link to increased cancer, disease, and birth defects has caused the government to take expedited action into finding a solution. The EPA is researching ways in which PFAS can be detected more efficiently in the air and water, how much people are exposed to PFAS, how harmful PFAS are to people and the environment, how to remove PFAS from drinking water, and how to manage and dispose of PFAS (PFAS Explained). The current solutions will be explained in the final blog. 

Ultimately, it is really unfortunate that PFAS are found in the concentrations they are found in. Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances are honestly wonders of human invention, but they have their drawbacks. The slippery pan surfaces are responsible for causing cancer, the stain proof clothes and carpets are linked to high cholesterol, and the PFAS in the water is linked to many diseases. All that we can do now is fight against the corporations making PFAS and offer an alternative. The government is working hard to find solutions, and we desperately need one.

In the next blog, we will cover the problems of excess bio-waste in the United States and how PFAS aids in the issue. 

Works Cited:

“Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).” National Institute of Environmental  Health Sciences, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 17 Nov. 2021, https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc/index.cfm.

“PFAS Explained.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained.

Wilson, Julie. “’The Devil We Know:’ How Dupont Poisoned the World with Teflon.” Organic Consumers Association, 31 July 2019, https://www.organicconsumers.org/blog/devil-we-know-how-dupont-poisoned-world-teflon.