As awareness of PFAS, per and polyfluoroalkyl substances grows, so does the urgency to address their disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. Known as "forever chemicals" for their resistance to environmental breakdown, PFAS are linked to serious health risks including cancer, liver damage, and reproductive issues. Communities of color, low-income neighborhoods, and military towns are often the most exposed and the least protected.
A 2023 study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that communities with higher proportions of Black and Hispanic/Latino residents are significantly more likely to be exposed to PFAS in their drinking water. The researchers linked this disparity to the proximity of PFAS sources, such as airports, landfills, and industrial facilities, to these communities. In fact, each additional PFAS source in a watershed was associated with up to a 108% increase in PFAS levels in drinking water.
In Michigan, over 200 PFAS contamination sites have been identified, many in working-class towns like Belmont, where residents discovered their private wells contained PFAS levels thousands of times higher than the EPA's health advisory limit. At Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, PFAS-laden firefighting foam has created a toxic plume in the Ogallala Aquifer, forcing a local dairy to euthanize 3,500 cows and contaminating groundwater at levels exceeding federal standards by over 650,000%.
In April 2024, the EPA designated two common PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS, as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, enabling the agency to compel polluters to pay for cleanup. The EPA also finalized the first-ever national drinking water standards for six PFAS, aiming to protect 100 million people and prevent tens of thousands of serious illnesses.