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last mo.

Belgian PFAS Scandal Prompts Health Testing, Product Warnings and Fast-Acting Filter Experiments

Communities in southern Belgium expect detailed exposure data later this year following expanded blood-sampling campaigns

PFAS use is increasingly being restricted due to adverse health effects
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Almost 1,300 people had their blood samples taken to confirm exposure to the forever chemicals in a Belgian region.
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Overview

  • Authorities extended blood-sampling campaigns in June across about ten Walloon municipalities, collecting nearly 1,300 samples to assess PFAS exposure with results due later this year.
  • A judicial investigation remains open into the source of local PFAS pollution after the US military warned water operators in 2017 and regional authorities were notified in 2018.
  • Activated-carbon filters have been installed in drinking-water systems and new EU rules capping total PFAS at 100 ng/L were accelerated to 2025 to strengthen safety standards.
  • Researchers at the University of Notre Dame detected PFAS in almost one-third of reusable menstrual products and estimated that skin absorbs between 1% and 50% of these chemicals.
  • A University of Utah team demonstrated in lab tests that a metal-organic framework filter removed over 99% of PFOA in five minutes and retained 93% efficiency after five wash cycles