Letter to the Editor

Mothers Out Front Discuss Dangers of PFAS

Dear Editor,

Recently, Winthrop’s Mothers Out Front, invited Cindy Luppi, a woman from Winthrop and New England Director of Clean Water Action, to speak about the dangers of PFAS, a toxic causing chemical.

She explained, that the dangers of this chemical had long been known by its inventor, DuPont, who patented Teflon, and 3M ANOTHER BIG manufacturer. Five decades ago, DuPont knew about the hazards but didn’t reveal the knowledge to its workers, local communities or environmental officials.

Finally, 20 years ago, the Teflon chemical and the ingredients in 3M’s Scotchgard were phased out by the EPA. The exposure to these dangerous chemicals were revealed and created the scandal, when the waters surrounding the DuPont plant in West Virginia and surrounding communities of tens of thousands became ill from the contamination. It was found that the PFSA Chemicals, including Teflon, were linked to the following: Cancer ( testicular, kidney, liver, and pancreatic ), also reproductive problems, low birthweight and weakened childhood immunity. Unfortunately, these chemicals remain in our environment, our body and bloodstreams. They can only be partially released through urination. Fortunately, the water in our region has been tested and indicators have shown that our MWRA waters, presently, are not contaminated. However, the chemical industry has since developed thousands of other versions of pfas chemicals so the problem is far from solved.

One profession that is highly affected by PFAS are our firefighters. Their clothing has been infused with these chemicals to repel water, oil and grease. The chemicals are also present in the foam they use to put out fires. This usage, and other toxic chemicals that they encounter on the job, has caused firefighters to have a significantly higher rate of cancer than the average general public.

Finally, it is important to note that water is not the only source of PFAS: stain-resistant furniture and carpets ( Stainmaster and other fabric treatments ), clothes labeled stain-or water repellent usually contains PFAS. It is also important to note that some of the chemicals continue to be imported.

**As of June 2022, 2,858 locations in 50 states and two territories are known to be contaminated with the compounds known as pfas.**

We would like to thank Cindy Luppi for passing her knowledge on to all of us and Barbara Bishop and WCAT for filming. The show “PFAS” can be seen on WCAT.

Sincerely,

Maryalice Sharkey