Co-authors: Alyssa Middleton, Ph.D. & Maurice A. Ramirez, D.O., Ph.D.
Often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are among the most concerning Fluorinated Hydrocarbons (FHC) pollutants because they do not naturally break down in the environment. These concerns are compounded by the fact that PFAS have been linked to many health problems, including cancer, asthma, and diabetes. Every reader should be concerned because studies estimate 98% of people in the United States have PFAS in their blood. One of the ways people get PFAS into their bodies is by breathing polluted air. There are many ways PFAS get into the air.
Simple acts of cleaning such as vacuuming can release PFAS into the air. When you vacuum a carpet, you not only suck up dirt, dust, and germs, you aerosolize PFAS in the stain-resistant carpet treatment. And it is not just carpets that contain PFAS. Luxury vinyl flooring (LVF) is a popular alternative to expensive hardwood or tile flooring. LVF and the adhesives used to install LVF off-gas (release) PFAS into the air of your home or office. Choosing real or laminate wood flooring does not protect you from PFAS. Wood stains and sealants contain PFAS. Floor wax used on wood floors also contains PFAS. Even tile flooring is not without PFAS exposure. Floor cleaners, grout treatments, sealants and many other floor care products contain PFAS that are released in the air for you to breathe.
And it is not just flooring. Stain resistant and fire retardant treatments on upholstery and linens, in pillows and mattresses, even wall paints often contain PFAS. Since many people spend 90% of their time indoors, they are regularly exposed to PFAS where they live, work, learn, play and worship.
Indoor air is not the only air that contains PFAS. One way experts tried to destroy PFAS was by incineration – burning at very high temperatures. It was thought that the high heat of industrial incinerators would destroy PFAS molecules. However, PFAS chemicals are designed to withstand heat. Even at high heat, PFAS does not burn, instead it escapes into the atmosphere. Many communities near incinerators have high levels of PFAS in the air, water and soil. Governments have banned PFAS incineration, but because PFAS are ‘forever chemicals’ the PFAS already in the atmosphere persist until breathed in by plants, animals and people.
PFAS are also components of the manufacturing processes for thousands of products from aluminum, to commercially produced baked goods, to electronics, to plastics. Even if you do not use the products, the manufacturing processes release massive amounts of PFAS into the atmosphere. Winds and weather spread these PFAS far beyond the factory where the PFAS is used.
It is likely that you and those you love not only already have PFAS in your body but are regularly exposed to PFAS through the air you breathe. This can lead to serious health problems. We must eliminate PFAS-containing products and find ways to safely destroy these chemicals—our health depends on it.
About the Authors:
Alyssa Middleton, Ph. D., has over 20 years of experience working with cancer patients and their families, as well as conducting cancer research. She is the co-author of Five Bugles Institute’s PFAS remediation and replacement educational program. Learn more about Five Bugles Institute’s research at www.fivebuglesinstitute.com/pfas.
Maurice A. Ramirez, D.O., PhD. is the Co-Founder of the High Alert Institute, a 501c3 not-for-profit educational public charity dedicated to providing disaster readiness education and resources to unserved and underserved communities, industries and charitable organizations in an All Hazards, One Health/One Nature, One Framework paradigm. Learn more about the High Alert Institute at www.HighAlertInstitute.org
Griffin Works offers Pawsitive Interactions with Service Dogs During Response Operations©, an audience-customized training that breaks down barriers by offering hands-on handling training and demonstrations with working service dogs for fire departments, EMS agencies, and public safety organizations.
Part of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium and home to the National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center, TEEX has been leading homeland security training since 1998. The major TEEX programs include fire and rescue, infrastructure and safety, law enforcement, economic and workforce development, and homeland security. As a member of The Texas A&M University System, TEEX is unique in its ability to access a broad range of emerging research and technical expertise. Beginning with course design and development all the way through hands-on instruction and national certification testing, TEEX delivers comprehensive training through both classroom and hands-on instruction and as online courses.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) was created by Congress in 2000 as part of the Children’s Health Act to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for children and families who experience or witness traumatic events. This unique network of child-serving professionals, caregivers and young adults, researchers, and national partners is committed to changing the course of children’s lives by improving their care and moving scientific gains quickly into practice across the U.S. The NCTSN is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and coordinated by the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS).
The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The EMI provides national leadership in developing and delivering training to ensure that individuals and groups having key emergency management responsibilities possess the requisite skills to effectively perform their jobs.
The High Alert Institute maintains a list of reviewed courses provided by governments, universities and professional organizations. This list is geared towards the non-emergency management person who participates in disaster planning, preparedness, response, recovery or mitigation as part of their job responsibilities.
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Koi need forever homes, too! For pond enthusiasts, freshwater exotic and ornamental fish may not be available through pet stores or rescues in their area. The High Alert Institute Aquatic Pet Shelter Rehoming Program will be happy to assist you in stocking your new pond or adding a new finned friend to your school. Coming soon – when you adopt a Koi from the High Alert Institute Aquatic Pet Shelter Rehoming Program, we can arrange for delivery to your door anywhere in the continental United States.
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Dumping of freshwater non-native species and exotic aquatic pets into wild habitats is a man-made disaster that is truly preventable. The Institute’s Aquatic Pet Welfare Partnership works to raise awareness and reduce the impact on healthy ecosystems through education, as well as rescue and rehoming. Joined by champions of animal welfare and environmental stewardship, this association of aquatic pet rescue operations and aquatic pet shelters across the United States aims to save our finned friends and preserve our waterways together.
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Disasters are defined as situations in which needs exceed or overwhelm available resources. Some disasters affect an entire community, while other disasters impact individuals and families. Crises of physical or psychological health can be very personal disasters.
The therapeutic value of pets during illness, trauma, and recovery is well established. And Koi fish may be well suited for people who are not able to provide verbal pet commands or physically care for pets like dogs and cats. Koi ponds are also a source of beauty and peace, providing an ideal setting for quiet reflection or meditation.
We are working to partner with pond installers and aquatic pet rescues/shelters to offer free or reduced-cost ponds with rehomed Koi fish to people seeking this type of pet therapy.
Disasters disrupt life and impact our sense of personal, family, and community safety. Survivors and responders alike often are not aware of the emotional, psychological or spiritual challenges that they may face from disaster onset through recovery. With two decades of experience training responders and communities to prepare for the behavioral health aspects of disasters, we will continue to provide education and a curated list of resources to groups or individuals.
Non-medical factors that impact overall health are termed Social Determinants of Health or SDoH. Noise pollution, poor air quality, and poor water quality are three environmental factors known to have a strong link to overall health. And the same environmental factors that impact humans impact their pets and other animals in their care. We continue to assist in advocacy, education, and technology development to mitigate the impact of SDoH on humans and animals alike.
Our efforts in shelter and rescue are the main focus of our environmental stewardship, reducing the environmental impact of non-native aquatic animals being dumped into public waterways. The High Alert Institute also assists innovators with the design, development, and evaluation of green and renewable energy technologies. Reducing the carbon footprint associated with disaster preparedness, response, and recovery furthers our continued mission to mitigate risk and improve resilience.
We partner with public and private organizations, sharing resources and fostering partnerships to improve disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, and mitigation.
The High Alert Institute team has over a century of combined research experience in medical, nursing, behavioral health, and disaster sciences. Our team provides support to researchers and technology developers through comprehensive literature searches and reviews, as well as failure mode database searches and adjudicated reviews.
When disaster strikes, most aquatic pet owners have limited options to secure the safety of their pets. Sheltering in place may not be possible if there is no power to provide aeration and “pet-friendly” shelters do not include ponds or aquariums. Our goal is to provide an option for aquatic pet owners in need of rescue and shelter for their finned friends.
Our goal is to share our two decades of disaster readiness experience with animal welfare organizations, shelters, caretakers, and pet owners, as they implement contingency plans for natural and manmade disasters.
