A sweeping new bill the California Legislature is considering would protect public health by banning cookware and cleaning products that contain the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
Senate Bill 682 builds on the state’s efforts to reduce peoples’ exposure to harmful chemicals. If enacted, it would prohibit the distribution, sale or offering for sale of products that contain intentionally added PFAS. The ban would go into effect in 2028.
Cookware and cleaning supplies often contain these substances, which can leech into food and the environment and are linked to cancer and other serious health problems.
SB 682, authored by California State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), targets a wide range of items people use every day, including cookware, cleaning products, dental floss, some juvenile products, plastic food packaging and ski wax.
If California enacts SB 682, it would join other states, such as Connecticut, Colorado and Minnesota, that have banned the use of PFAS in cookware, cleaners and other products.
The bill’s cosponsors include the Environmental Working Group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Clean Water Action, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies.
SB 682 would also expand the state’s existing PFAS bans – which already cover textiles, cosmetics, paper food packaging, menstrual products, some children’s products and firefighting foam – by adding new categories of products.
Given California’s position as the world’s fourth largest economy, any state regulation tends to set a de facto national standard. Companies adjust their product specifications for the state’s massive market, so they’d likely remove PFAS from their products sold nationwide instead of making one PFAS-free type for California and keeping PFAS in items sold in other states.
PFAS in cookware
Nonstick cookware commonly contains PTFE, a type of PFAS sold under the name Teflon. At high temperatures, this chemical coating can degrade and release toxic fumes linked to a flu-like condition known as “Teflon flu,” which causes respiratory distress.
A study reported that PTFE particles have been found in urine and semen. Researchers linked it to reduced sperm counts.
The coating can also flake off damaged pots and pans and contaminate food. EWG has long recommended that consumers switch to alternatives like stainless steel, cast iron or glass to reduce their exposure to hazardous PFAS.
Even companies that make PFAS-coated cookware recognize the risks their products pose under typical cooking conditions. They warn consumers not to use the pots and pans at temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit, a level needed to broil food or for everyday stovetop use.
To avoid health hazards, companies also caution against using metal utensils that can damage the coating, which releases the substance.
They also urge people to keep pet birds away from heated pans. Birds have died after exposure to PFAS gases released by heated pans.
PFAS in cleaning products
PFAS are also added to some cleaning products. Categories of these chemicals that either may contain or have historically contained PFAS are:
- glass and hard surface cleaners
- fabric, upholstery, and carpet cleaners and treatments
- dishwashing rinse aids
- aerosol propellant-based cleaners and air fresheners
- paints and coatings
- waxes and polishes for floors, furniture, cars and boat vessels
During floor treatments, like stripping and waxing, PFAS levels in dust and air can spike dramatically, according to a 2022 study. This exposure to PFAS in cleaners can affect everyone but pose a greater health risk to cleaning workers, pregnant people, children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
Children are especially vulnerable. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, kids are more sensitive to PFAS because of their size and developing bodies, and behaviors like crawling and putting hands in their mouths. Many spend long hours on floors and surfaces treated with PFAS-containing cleaners, especially in schools and daycare centers.
Cleaning workers use these products frequently or even daily and could be disproportionately affected by PFAS in cleaners.
After use, many cleaning products are rinsed down the drain, where they mix with wastewater. From there, PFAS can end up in rivers, lakes, even on land because of the disposal of treated sewage. Some utilities recycle treated wastewater to irrigate parks and schools.
Utilities are not required to remove most PFAS from drinking water, recycled water or sludge. Federal drinking water standards will require just two of the thousands of PFAS in use to be removed from drinking water, beginning in 2031.
Health risks of PFAS exposure
PFAS are toxic even at extremely low levels. They are known as forever chemicals because once released into the environment, they do not break down and can build up in the body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detected PFAS in the blood of 99 percent of Americans, including newborn babies.
Very low doses of PFAS have been linked to suppression of the immune system. Studies show exposure to PFAS can also increase the risk of cancer, harm fetal development and reduce vaccine effectiveness.
A model for national change
California has a long track record of leading the nation in protecting public health and the environment from toxic chemicals. SB 682 is another vital step forward.
By banning intentionally added PFAS from everyday consumer products such as cookware and cleaners, the state could help promote the development and use of safer alternatives nationwide and lower harmful exposures that could threaten Californians’ health.
PFAS have no place in our kitchens, our classrooms or our bodies. With safer options already available, it’s time to phase out these forever chemicals for good.
