Most people do not think about the chemicals in the items they use every day. But PFAS are showing up in places like food wrappers shampoo dental floss and even school water fountains. These chemicals are called forever chemicals because they never fully break down in the environment or in our bodies. According to the Environmental Protection Agency they can stay in our blood for years and increase the risk of cancer liver damage and hormone problems.
What makes this even more serious is that young people are often the ones being exposed the most. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that children and teens can have higher levels of PFAS in their bodies than adults. That is part of why more students are stepping up and doing something about it.
At Berkeley High School in California students led a campaign to remove PFAS-lined trays from the school cafeteria. Based on their interviews published by the Ecology Center the students found out that the trays were treated with chemicals that could leach into food. They gave a presentation to the school board and convinced the district to switch to safer compostable options.
Meanwhile in North Carolina the youth-led group Clean Cape Fear worked with scientists to collect water samples in neighborhoods around the Cape Fear River. According to an NPR report the students helped discover PFAS levels hundreds of times above health guidelines. Their work was included in a national study by the Environmental Working Group and led to more attention from lawmakers and environmental agencies.
Students in Vermont helped support a bill that banned PFAS in rugs cookware and food packaging. According to reporting from VPIRG the Vermont Public Interest Research Group the students organized a petition collected more than one thousand signatures and testified in front of the state legislature. Their actions helped pass one of the first state bans of its kind in the country.