On this edition of Oregon On The Record, you’ll hear from two nationally known scientists from Oregon State University, professors Jamie DeWitt and Jennifer Field, who are leading researchers on PFAS, or forever chemicals, and their impact on our environment.
They discuss the dangerous balancing act we do in our society of fulfilling that old marketing slogan “better living through chemistry," and the toll on our health and the health of our state and communities.
Here in the rainy Pacific Northwest, it sometimes seems like waterproof parkas outnumber people. And those jackets work because of a synthetic substance that works great at shedding water.
The problem is that the host of chemicals that make rain-repellent clothing, nonstick frying pans, and fire retardant are dangerous to our environment and ourselves. The worse problem is that these PFAs don’t degrade and can stay in in our groundwater for thousands of years.
