A longtime water policy expert, she knows all too well that the much-needed rainwater replenishing the Bay Area’s parched soils and reservoirs is also flushing a collision of chemicals and pollutants into storm drains and, ultimately, out to the Bay.
Since the 1940s, PFAS have been used in everything from non-stick pans and fast-food packaging to clothing, beauty products and even dental floss. But their ubiquity means they've also found their way into our air, soils, food, waterways — and even our bloodstreams, posing health and environmental concerns not yet fully understood.
“We have robust evidence that some of those well-studied ones, like PFOS and PFOA, cause cancers, cause immune impacts, liver impacts, thyroid impacts,” said Rebecca Sutton, a senior scientist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute. And unlike mercury, there is no state guidance outlining which species may be most harmful for human consumption due to PFAS contamination, noted Sutton.
Another cause for concern is that PFAS don’t just accumulate in our bodies – they've cropped up everywhere we’ve looked for them. Recent surveys have found PFAS in 83% of waterways across the United States, many at thresholds well beyond what has been advisable by state and federal guidelines. And once PFAS enter ecosystems through stormwater or wastewater flushing, they tend to linger. “Treatment is pretty difficult,” said Sutton. “So, really, the best way to address these chemicals is if we can turn off pollution at the tap.”