‘Forever chemicals’ detected in water, food, and fish and the legislative and regulatory push to address PFAS risks
PFAS Contamination and Policy Response
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly dubbed “forever chemicals” due to their extreme environmental persistence and bioaccumulative properties, remain a formidable public health and ecological threat across the United States. Despite heightened awareness and growing legislative momentum in 2025, recent data confirm that PFAS contamination continues to infiltrate critical resources such as drinking water, food, and freshwater fish. Simultaneously, new challenges have emerged, including federal funding cuts that jeopardize essential food safety programs designed to monitor and mitigate PFAS risks.
Persistent and Widespread PFAS Contamination in Food and Water
The latest findings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Total Diet Study underscore the ongoing pervasiveness of PFAS contamination. Approximately 7% of tested food samples—spanning key categories such as:
- Meats and dairy products
- Seafood and freshwater fish
—contained detectable PFAS levels, confirming that these toxic compounds remain entrenched in the American food supply.
Moreover, localized contamination hotspots persist, notably in Forest Hills, New York, and various regions in Michigan, where elevated PFAS levels in community drinking water supplies have triggered fish consumption advisories. These advisories stem from the bioaccumulation of PFAS in aquatic ecosystems, posing heightened exposure risks to residents relying on local fish as a food source.
This sustained contamination highlights the complex challenges in reducing chronic PFAS exposure for millions of Americans and the necessity for ongoing surveillance and intervention.
Escalating Health Risks and the Call for Protective Measures
A mounting body of scientific research links PFAS exposure to a spectrum of serious health concerns, including:
- Immune system suppression
- Developmental and hormonal disruptions
- Elevated cancer risk
Children continue to be disproportionately vulnerable due to their developing physiology and potential for higher exposure. Reflecting this urgency, Representative Jan Schakowsky emphasized in the House of Representatives:
“Measures must be taken to protect children from the harmful effects of PFAS.”
In parallel, advocacy groups are intensifying calls for:
- Stricter exposure limits
- Enhanced monitoring
- Targeted interventions in schools, childcare facilities, and heavily contaminated communities
Such efforts aim to mitigate the disproportionate burden borne by sensitive populations and prevent long-term adverse health outcomes.
Legislative Advances in 2025: Funding, Liability, and Use Restrictions Gain Traction
The year 2025 has seen notable legislative activity aimed at curbing PFAS risks and supporting remediation efforts:
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Representative Chris Pappas has reintroduced bills to expand federal funding for PFAS cleanup and remediation, provide financial support to affected communities, and increase transparency regarding contamination sources.
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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has reintroduced two key pieces of legislation designed to combat PFAS contamination. These measures focus on strengthening federal response capabilities and enhancing protections for public health, signaling bipartisan commitment to address the crisis at a systemic level.
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Congressional debates are intensifying over the establishment of clear liability frameworks to hold manufacturers and polluters financially accountable for contamination and cleanup costs, aiming to prevent taxpayers from bearing these burdens.
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Lawmakers continue to press for tighter restrictions on PFAS use, especially in food packaging and industrial applications, to limit ongoing environmental and dietary exposure.
Together, these legislative efforts reflect a growing consensus that tackling PFAS contamination requires a multifaceted approach combining prevention, remediation, and accountability.
Regulatory and Industry Pressures Mounting for Enforceable Standards and Safer Alternatives
Federal agencies face increasing demands to implement firm regulatory controls over PFAS:
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under significant pressure to finalize and enforce comprehensive drinking water standards for multiple PFAS compounds. Moving beyond existing advisory levels, stakeholders advocate for establishing legally binding maximum contaminant limits (MCLs) to ensure consistent protection nationwide.
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The food packaging and manufacturing industries are being scrutinized for ongoing PFAS use. Industry leaders are urged to accelerate the phase-out of PFAS-containing materials and invest in the development and deployment of safer, sustainable alternatives.
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Experts call for a coordinated multi-agency strategy involving environmental monitoring, food safety oversight, and public health initiatives. Such integration is critical to delivering a unified and effective response to the multifaceted PFAS challenge.
Emerging Threat: Federal Funding Cuts Jeopardize Food Safety and PFAS Monitoring Programs
Despite these advances, recent federal funding reductions for food safety programs threaten to undermine critical PFAS monitoring, enforcement, and research efforts. Experts warn that these budget cuts could:
- Weaken agencies’ capacity to detect and monitor PFAS contamination effectively in food supplies
- Undermine enforcement and remediation activities vital for protecting public health
- Curtail timely research and risk assessments necessary for informed policymaking and intervention
Sarah Todd, a food safety reporter, cautions that these funding shortfalls risk eroding progress made in PFAS response efforts, potentially allowing contamination to go unaddressed—particularly in vulnerable communities already burdened by environmental injustice.
Priorities for the Path Forward: Protecting Health, Ensuring Accountability, and Sustaining Action
Addressing the enduring PFAS crisis demands sustained, coordinated action across federal, state, and local governments, industry, and civil society. Central priorities include:
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Protecting vulnerable populations, especially children, through stricter regulatory limits, enhanced health monitoring, and community-specific interventions.
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Establishing clear accountability to ensure polluters and manufacturers bear the full costs and legal responsibility for contamination and cleanup.
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Promoting industry innovation to eliminate PFAS from food packaging and consumer products, alongside transparent labeling to empower consumers with knowledge.
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Securing sustained funding and fostering multi-agency collaboration to maintain comprehensive monitoring, enforcement, and public health responses despite fiscal pressures.
Conclusion
PFAS contamination persists as a pervasive and complex threat to water quality, food safety, and public health. While 2025 has ushered in important legislative and regulatory advances—including renewed federal funding proposals, liability frameworks, and use restrictions—new challenges such as federal budget cuts to food safety programs pose significant risks to continued progress.
Moving forward, a long-term, well-funded, and coordinated national strategy remains imperative to safeguard communities, hold polluters accountable, and ultimately reduce the presence and impact of these “forever chemicals” across the environment and food supply. Without sustained commitment and action, the health and well-being of current and future generations remain at risk.