Gov. JB Pritzker has signed legislation that clean water advocates say will reduce toxic water pollution.
The PFAS Reduction Act will phase out the use of manufactured per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, by 2032. The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Julie Morrison and Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid.
The new law targets PFAS in children’s products, cosmetics, intimate apparel such as sleepwear or underwear, menstrual products and dental floss. PFAS has been directly linked to contamination of drinking water.
Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council [IEC], said PFAS are more widely used than people may realize.
“By now, it is likely that you have heard of 'PFAS chemicals,' and for those who haven’t, you most certainly have interacted with them, probably on a daily basis for many years now,” said Walling. “Our science-based understanding of the dangers of PFAS continues to grow, and with it, the public’s support for intervening in this expanding environmental and public health crisis.”
PFAS are often referred to as “forever chemicals,” as their carbon-fluorine bond makes them highly resistant to breakdown and they can be found in the environment for decades or longer.
They have been linked to contamination of drinking water supplies and pose risks from cancers and liver toxicity to reduced fertility. Prolonged exposure studies have linked it to thyroid disorders, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and low birth rates.
IEC said that while Illinois has made progress in phasing out PFAS, the federal government has taken steps to roll back its regulation, including cutting funding to public health research of PFAS.
“At a time when our federal government and other states are failing the public on PFAS pollution, IEC is proud to support the work Sen. Morrison and Rep. Rashid are doing to answer the public’s call for smart policy intervention curbing our exposure to toxic forever chemicals to ensure a safer, healthier future for all Illinoisans and our ecosystems,” Walling said.
