In July 2023, the result of a U.S. Geological Survey that 45% of all tap water in the country was contaminated by PFAS made national headlines in all major news outlets.
What went under-reported was the first-ever, peer-reviewed study in May 2023 that concluded Black and Latino communities consistently encountered higher rates of PFAS contamination compared to white neighborhoods.
PFAS are linked to several adverse health effects. This should be especially worrisome to BIPOC because, as Elsie Sunderland, senior author of the study, points out, research on environmental disparities for other contaminants shows communities of color suffer worse health outcomes, even at the same exposure levels, compared to others.
What are PFAS?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a huge family of over 13,000 synthetic chemicals. They were developed in the 1940s for their water- and stain-resistant properties. Called forever chemicals because they don’t degrade easily, they are used in a wide variety of consumer goods including nonstick cookware, workout and yoga pants, and dental floss.
Where is PFAS contamination in the US?
PFAS have entered the drinking water of communities around the US. PFAS contamination is particularly prevalent near military bases, airports, or industrial sites. It’s also widespread near farms where sewage sludge has been applied as fertilizer.
Effects of PFAS on human health
There are several serious human health effects associated with PFAS including (based on human and animal studies):
- Kidney and testicular cancer
- High blood cholesterol levels
- Fertility loss
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Decreased immune response to vaccines
- Low birth weight
- Birth defects
- Developmental delays
Environmental racism: PFAS
The recent study on the higher rates of PFAS contamination in BIPOC communities is the latest example of environmental racism in the US.
First noted in the landmark 1987 report titled Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States: A National Report on the Racial and Socio-Economic Characteristics of Communities with Hazardous Waste Sites, environmental racism is described as the disproportionate exposure of black and brown people to environmental pollution leading to increased incidences of serious health conditions—such as asthma, heart disease, and cancer—compared to white people.
Communities of color are more likely to live close to heavy industry, military bases, power plants, or landfills where toxic pollution is more prevalent and poses great health risks. They do not have equal access to a healthy environment as most white people do.
PFAS in black communities: What you can do
The most important action you can take to end the scourge of PFAS contamination in your neighborhood is to organize. A group of concerned citizens is more effective than individuals acting alone in getting elected officials to pass environmental protection laws, seek compensation or reparation from polluters, or secure government assistance to do so. Here are two groups to join.
1. We Act for Environmental Justice
New York-based, this group raises public awareness and pushes for legislative action on several environmental issues—including PFAS—that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Their Justice40rward campaign aims to inform stakeholders and elected officials across the country about the federal funds available for rectifying legacy environmental harms to disadvantaged groups.
2. Safer States
As a national alliance of state-led groups working to regulate toxic chemical exposures—such as PFAS—and hold polluters accountable, Safer States is a program of the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future.
A second way you can help end PFAS contamination in your community is to identify and reach out to scientists and public health workers. Notify them of all adverse health outcomes experienced by local residents and become part of their database of known cases. The groups mentioned above may be able to connect you with PFAS researchers.
Once you’ve identified PFAS researchers, ask for their assistance in developing a PFAS monitoring program in your community. If your local or state government cannot do this, the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative may be able to pay for it.
As Abre’ Conner, Director of the Center for Environmental and Climate Justice of the NAACP states, “Communities must continue to have the ability to monitor pollution. The timeline is too long between the notification of a high level of pollution within a community and responsive action.”
Lastly, take collective legal action against PFAS manufacturers. Groups like the National League of Cities also provide updates on court settlements and local legislative initiatives on PFAS. They may provide assistance or guidance to communities experiencing PFAS contamination.
The end of the Chevron doctrine and PFAS
In April 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed first-ever mandatory drinking water standards for a few PFAS, meaning public utilities would have to remove them. The EPA also declared that two PFAS were hazardous substances, thereby transferring the responsibility for cleanup to polluters.
However, in June 2024, the US Supreme Court overturned the longstanding Chevron doctrine which broadly granted government agencies the authority to regulate industry.
Predictably, the chemical industry and the US Military are now claiming they do not have to clean up PFAS. So, unfortunately, the future success of PFAS litigation is uncertain.
However, given their extremely hazardous nature, remediation is essential for environmental and human health. PFAS legal action remains the best hope affected communities have for ridding themselves of PFAS.
