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New Studies Tie PFAS to Weaker Immunity and Childhood Asthma as Cleanups Stall

Patchy enforcement of EPA limits is pushing residents toward stopgap home filters.

Overview

  • A Swedish PLOS Medicine study of 11,488 children found higher asthma diagnoses after very high prenatal PFAS exposure in Ronneby, with risk about 40% higher.
  • Michigan State–led research reported fewer protective antibodies in adults with higher PFAS in blood after encountering a new virus, signaling weaker immune response.
  • The EPA’s 2024 drinking water standard of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS set a national target, yet rollout and enforcement remain uneven across communities.
  • In Westminster, Massachusetts, firms blamed for severe well contamination missed state deadlines to connect homes to town water, leaving many families on filters and bottled water.
  • A University of Wisconsin review found top PFAS websites often bury or omit simple steps to cut exposure, pushing households to point-of-use filters like reverse osmosis that can cut PFOA and PFOS by about 98%.