CEU: Forever Chemicals- 2024

Learn more about the substances referred to as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals utilized in many aspects of daily life, with Dr. Cristi Bell-Huff. While PFAS in contaminated wastewater has garnered media attention, performance textiles—those with added features like repelling, resisting, or shielding against certain elements like water or stains—have received less attention. PFAS is present in upholstery fabrics and has been utilized in a wide range of consumer goods for almost 80 years. Several processes, such as chemical breakdown during laundry, the evaporation of volatile PFAS as a residue from the fabric, and the loss of particles and fiber fragments due to abrasion, can cause PFAS to be released from these textiles.