Abstract
THE SAGA OF SOME POLLUTANTS starts with a synthetic chemical that is produced commercially for years before it is linked to health problems. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), widely used as insulating fluids for decades before they were banned in the mid-1970s, are an example. A similar but more complicated story is emerging for the compound perfluorooctanoic acid. PFOA is used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers including DuPont's Teflon and in breathable, waterproof fabrics. During the manufacture of these materials, PFOA is used as a surfactant but is not incorporated into the end product. PFOA, which is sometimes called C8, is persistent in the environment. Finding PFOA contamination around industrial sites where the compound has historically been manufactured and used was not surprising. Yet the compound is showing up in the blood of people across the U.S. and the world, including those living thousands of miles from the manufacturing sites [ Environ. Sci. Technol , published online July 24 ...
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