WASHINGTON DC – At least 2,500 industrial facilities across the USA could be discharging toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) into the air and water, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) non-profit.
A new EWG report, based on the analyis of two online databases from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as a survey by the state of New York, identified 2,501 unique industrial sites known to produce or use PFAS, or that were suspected of using PFAS.
PFAS, which are by-products of the production of chemicals used to make water repellent coatings in textiles, can build up in the human body over time and have been linked to various cancers, kidney and thyroid disease, reduced birth weights and damaged immune systems.
