birth defects

Celebrity chefs and forever chemicals

October 22, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances – better known as PFAS – are a type of human-made chemicals that are found in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. They don’t break down in the environment or in the human body, so they are often called forever chemicals. They can contaminate drinking water sources and can get into the food supply. PFAS chemicals have been linked to low birth weight, birth defects and developmental delays in infants, and an increased risk of some prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers. PFAS can be found in the blood of almost every person in the United States.

PFAS chemicals are used in some food packaging, dental floss, and nonstick cookware. Some states have taken action against the use of the chemicals. Minnesota has a law that prohibits PFAS in cookware and 10 other types of products. Several other states including New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, and Maine have passed laws banning specific uses of PFAS.

California has passed a bill that would phase out the use of PFAS for a range of products including nonstick cookware and celebrity chefs are joining forces to defend the use of the chemicals in pots and pans. These include Rachael Ray, Marcus Samuelsson, and David Chang. All of them endorse cookware products.

The chefs say that nonstick cookware using PFAS coatings are safe when used responsibly and that eliminating the use of the coatings would be a serious loss to restaurants and home cooks. Opponents say that PFAS can end up in food when nonstick cookware overheats, is scratched or otherwise degrades. In any case, manufacturing products containing PFAS causes significant pollution.

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California Wants to Ban ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Pans. These Chefs Say Don’t Do It.

Photo, posted January 31, 2018, courtesy of Quiet Hut via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Destroying Forever Chemicals | Earth Wise

August 11, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

PFAS, short for poly and perfluoroalkyl substances, have been used in commercial products since the 1940s. There are more than 4,000 different chemicals in the class. Some of the most commonly used PFAS chemicals, like PFOS and PFOA, have long half-lives, which has earned them the moniker “forever chemicals.”

These dangerous chemicals have not been manufactured in the U.S. since the early 2000s, but they can still be found in various imported goods. PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer, birth defects, thyroid disease, and liver damage. These forever chemicals linger in the environment and scientists have found them in the blood of virtually all Americans.

Researchers at Rice University have recently discovered an efficient catalyst for destroying PFAS forever chemicals. Unexpectedly, the catalyst was actually in the control group in a study they were performing.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters, found that boron nitride, acting as a light-activated catalyst, destroyed PFOA at a faster clip than any previously reported photocatalyst.

The catalyst, boron nitride powder, is a commercially available synthetic mineral that is widely used in makeup, skincare products, thermal pastes for cooling computer chips, and various other industrial products. The discovery began with dozens of failed experiments on a variety of more promising PFAS catalysts. But along the way, they found that the boron nitride control material repeatedly yielded positive results.

The research has already attracted the attention of industrial partners seeking to develop off-grid water treatment systems that both protect human lives and support sustainable economic development.

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Boron nitride destroys PFAS ‘forever’ chemicals PFOA, GenX

Photo, posted April 9, 2009, courtesy of Rex Roof via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Zika Insecticides And Honeybees

November 30, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Honeybees, which play a critical role in agriculture by pollinating crops, are not native to the United States. Beekeepers manage most honeybee colonies and they move the bees around to support farmers.