Latest news with #PFAS-laced
New York Post
02-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
NYS lawmakers want to ban nonstick cookware over chemical that feds say isn't dangerous
Tough luck, Teflon. New York lawmakers are pushing to ban the sale of nonstick cookware over a chemical coating they say is dangerous — but that the federal government has deemed safe for decades. The popular – and typically cheaper – style of pots and pans could be wiped off store shelves by the start of 2027 because the kitchen items contain a type of plastic made from 'forever chemicals.' Advertisement 3 The ban would affect nonstick pans. Fred – The proposed bill that would ban the chemicals used in the cookware and a slew of other products, the latest in a series of nanny-state legislation Empire State officials have passed with or considered in recent years. New York would follow a handful of other states like Rhode Island, Minnesota and Connecticut with a ban, but a trade group lobbying against said lawmakers are misunderstanding the science. Advertisement Steve Burns, of Cookware Sustainability Alliance, said the same type of chemicals are coated with pacemakers and other electronics that are not being attacked by state lawmakers. 'What we try to say is that exact chemical that a cardiac surgeon has been putting into bodies for 60 years, how can that possibly be dangerous?' he told The Post. 'But somehow the same chemical when used to coat a frying pan is deemed to be dangerous. 'If we're gonna go around the state of New York and point at things in everybody's home and say that good, that's good, that's bad,' he added. 'What's it based on?' Nonstick cookware is made from polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, a subset of the synthetic chemicals group called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The ban wouldn't just affect pots and pans. Advertisement The sale of some architectural paints, car parts, cleaning products, rugs, ski wax textiles and polish containing PFAS would also be prohibited, according to the proposed law. The legislation passed the state Senate in May and has already cleared two crucial state Assembly committees in the legislature's lower chamber. A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said the legislation is 'being discussed.' The final bill would also need to be signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan), one of the bill's architects, called the PFAS-laced products 'cancer causing pollutants' harmful to a person's health and environment. Advertisement 3 Lawmakers in support of the bill claim the type of pots and pans are not safe. Octopus16 – 'By phasing out this whole class of dangerous 'forever chemicals' we can decrease the likelihood that New Yorkers are exposed to these toxins through the life-cycle of the product, including the manufacturing, use, and disposal,' Hoylman-Sigal, who is running for Manhattan borough president, said in a statement. The bill also has some broad support, with moderate Democrats and even a pair of Republican Senators co-sponsoring the proposal. Brooklyn Democratic Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forres even wrote an op-ed for USA Today last month arguing the chemicals used to coat non-stick cookware pose health risks. 'As a nurse, this concerns me, and it's why I'm in support of getting these chemicals out of our cookware and other products, and ensuring safer alternatives are used,' said Souffrant Forres, a member of the Democratic Socialists of American. The FDA website notes that nonstick applications on pots and pans are an authorized use under federal guidelines. One Westchester Assemblyman against the measure noted the FDA's longstanding stance. 'I think consumer choice is crucial, there's no question,' Assemblyman Matt Slater (R-Yorktown) said. 'But you're running in conflict with what the [Food and Drug Administration] has out there.' 3 Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal is backing the legislation. Hans Pennink Advertisement The potential ban is one of several heavy-handed rules Empire State lawmakers have considered or put in place, including targeting wood and coal-fired stoves, single-use plastic bottles of soap in hotels and flavored nicotine pouches. While nonstick pans with PTFE are considered safe when used correctly, if the cookware is set to a temperature above 500 degrees, the coating can burn off and cause potentially harmful fumes, according to a 2024 Washington Post article. The fumes can lead to a polymer fume fever, also known as Teflon flu. Advertisement An FDA spokesperson told the publication that the agency is not aware of any research that shows PFAS in nonstick cookware could lead to a safety concern for customers – a point Burns from the cookware alliance points to. 'This dates all the way back to the JFK administration and has been true under both Democratic and Republican presidents alike,' he said.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Residents demand answers after alarming revelation about their drinking water: 'Who is responsible?'
In Pennsylvania, a community is grappling with the toxic consequences of sewage sludge that was spread on nearby fields in the 1980s. In April 2024, Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection discovered dangerously high levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals, in groundwater and wells at a mobile home park in Columbia County. The contamination was likely a result of sewage sludge that was spread on agricultural fields in the 1980s. Residents told WVIA Radio that they did not hear the news until six months later, and many expressed concern during a public hearing. "My six-year-old daughter asked me yesterday, 'Mommy, who put bad chemicals in our water?' … So, on behalf of my six-year-old … who is responsible," asked Janine Hall, whose water tested well above safe drinking standards, according to the news outlet. The broader categorization of "PFAS" describes a group of thousands of human-made chemicals that are used in products like non-stick cookware, water-resistant clothing, and firefighting foams. Nicknamed "forever chemicals" because of their resistance to breaking down, they have infiltrated water supplies across the country. For instance, testing of private wells in Cadillac, Michigan, found PFAS in the water supply, concerning local residents. And for good reason. PFAS have been linked to a range of health concerns, including cancer, poor immunity, and reproductive disorders. One study even estimated that more than 20% of Americans may be exposed to PFAS-laced tap water. Back in Pennsylvania, Hall's husband Peter had his blood tested by a local doctor, and found it contained levels of PFAS at 280 parts per trillion. WVIA reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers some types of PFAS to be unsafe at levels above four parts per trillion. Other residents said they are worried that some of their health issues — problems like osteoarthritis, anemia, miscarriage, and cancer — may have been caused or exacerbated by PFAS contamination, according to WVIA. Pennsylvania's DEP plans to install filtration systems in at least 22 homes in Columbia County, per WVIA. They will also be doing soil sampling to determine possible sources. Pennsylvania started regulating PFAS in 2023, according to the news outlet. Meanwhile, other states have enacted legislation that takes aim at PFAS. For instance, New Hampshire lawmakers recently banned ski, board, and boat waxes containing these chemicals. How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Never Sometimes Often Always Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The general thinking goes that if using such chemicals would never have been approved in the first place with the knowledge we have now of the dangers, they should not continue to be approved moving forward either. Scientists are also working on ways to break these chemicals down before they have a chance to harm humans or the environment. For instance, researchers at the University of Illinois found a way to remove the full spectrum of PFAS from water in a single process, and scientists at the University of Rochester are doing similar work. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
