Some environmental scientists issued a warning on Friday about the chemicals known as PFAS that are contained in several objects such as pizza boxes, carpet treatments, and clothes.
PFAS or Polyflourinated Aalcylated Substances are found in several types of everyday products. These chemicals prevent pizza boxes from getting soggy due to grease.
PFAS are usually used in products because they are very resistant to high temperatures, according to Capital OTC. They also make products stronger and longer-lasting.
The environmental warning was published in the Journal Environmental Health Perspectives. A statement that 200 scientists working in 28 countries signed encouraged PFAS being limited.
DuPont once used a type of PFAS in its Teflon products several years ago, until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fined the company $16.5 million. The PFAS variety is now banned due to the chemical increasing cancer risks.
In the warning letter, scientists argued that the new replacement PFAS should be researched more, according to USA Today. Linda Birnbaum, a Health and Human Services (HHS) official, said that "safe alternatives" for current PFAS are required. She asked if the consumer products that contain the chemicals should be used until that is achieved.
However, the American Chemistry Council claimed that the warning statement from scientists did not consider that PFAS chemicals use technologies that are critical for several aspects of life in the modern world. (Confusing. Please revise.) It also notes that the EPA's tests verified that new PFAS are safer than the old chemicals that they replaced.