Connecticut is phasing out certain uses of PFAS, a group of man-made chemicals that have come under increasing scrutiny for their links to numerous adverse health conditions.
At a brief ceremony Tuesday on the banks of the Farmington River in Windsor — the site of an accidental PFAS spill from a hangar at Bradley International Airport in 2019 — Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law a bill aimed at reducing human exposure to the pollutants, which are known to persist in the human body and the environment for years.
“Reducing the potential for another release of these forever chemicals into our environment, and reducing the amount of PFAS-containing products in circulation in our state, is the right thing to do for the health of the residents of Connecticut and our environment,” Lamont said.
The law bans the use of firefighting foam containing PFAS as of Oct. 1. A provision barring fire departments for using the substance during training exercises took effect immediately.
All food packaging containing PFAS is to be phased out by 2023.
PFAS substances have water-resistant properties and have been used in stain repellents, polishes, paints and industrial coatings. They were initially thought to be inert, but research over the last three decades has shown that PFAS chemicals are resistant to environmental degradation and can build up to dangerous levels in the human body.
Studies suggest the PFAS class of chemicals can cause high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, immune dysregulation, low birth weights and certain cancers at high enough concentrations.
