Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Forever Chemicals' Impact On Americans' Health Will Cost Billions
The Hill: Exposure To ‘Forever Chemicals’ Costs Americans Billions: Study
Daily exposure to cancer-linked “forever chemicals” is expected to cost Americans billions of dollars over the current population’s lifetime, a new study has found. The associated increase in medical bills and decrease in worker productivity could generate economic losses between $5.52 billion and $62.6 billion, according to the study set for publication in the journal Exposure and Health. (Udasin, 7/26)
Also —
North Carolina Health News: People Living With Elevated PFAS Exposure Should Receive Expanded Testing, A New Study Finds
Against the backdrop of mounting evidence that links per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to negative impacts on human health, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released a study that calls for testing the blood of people with extended exposure to the man-made chemicals. (Atwater, 8/1)
Stars And Stripes: Report Recommends Testing For Those Exposed To ‘Forever Chemicals’ Often Found At Military Sites
Roughly 2,854 locations in the United States are contaminated to some degree by PFAS, and about a quarter of those sites are linked to military installations, according to the 300-page report, which was commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Olson, 7/29)
The Hill: Increasing Levels Of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Seen In Antarctica
After being wafted through the atmosphere and degraded by sunlight, snow then deposits these chemicals into the Antarctic surface. “These findings are a sobering reminder that our industrial activities have global consequences,” said co-author Anna Jones of the British Antarctic Survey. (Melillo, 7/29)
