Promote Change

MBCC Campaigns to Eliminate PFAS

2023 MBCC is campaigning to remove toxic chemicals from children’s products and other consumer products including firefighter protective gear, food packaging, cookware, personal care products, carpets and rugs, upholstered furniture, and fabric treatments.

Send letters in support of these campaigns here

2022 – Along with our campaign to eliminate PFAS in food packaging, MBCC campaigned to remove toxic chemicals from children’s products.

  • April 2022 – The Commonwealth’s PFAS Interagency Task Force released their final report
  • May 2022 – Attorney General Healey sued PFAS manufacturers; click here to learn more

2021 – We campaigned to eliminate PFAS in food packaging in Massachusetts.

2020 – We campaigned to eliminate PFAS in food packaging in Massachusetts.

2019 – We campaigned to reduce the levels of PFAS in drinking water. Massachusetts adopted MCLs for 6 PFAS at 20ppt; some of the most stringent regulations in the country

 

The Risks of PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of man-made chemicals used in the production of a wide range of consumer products such as stain-resistant carpets, non-stick pans, waterproof jackets, and grease-proof food packaging. These chemicals are extremely persistent, and some can linger in our bodies for many years. Nearly all Americans carry traces of these chemicals in their bodies.

With over 12,000 compounds, and growing, these toxic chemicals pose an enormous public health challenge. PFAS chemicals have been linked to a wide range of health effects including immune system toxicity, elevated cholesterol, altered mammary gland development, effects on the thyroid and liver, and cancer. Scientists are concerned that exposure to these chemicals that alter mammary gland development may increase the risk of breast cancer later in life.

Many of the chemicals used in food packaging can leach into food and enter people’s bodies. A 2019 study by Silent Spring Institute revealed that people who ate more meals at home had significantly lower levels of PFAS in their bodies vs. those who consumed more fast food or ate out more often. This same study also showed that people who ate more microwave popcorn had higher PFAS in their blood. Chemicals in food packaging also raise health concerns when they are disposed of in landfills as they can enter the soil and groundwater, potentially contaminating drinking water supplies.

Learn more about PFAS and ways to reduce your exposure by visiting MBCC’s PFAS Resources page here.