Nearly 1,000 products sold in Maine contain dangerous 'forever' chemicals
Cosmetics and cookware, school supplies and swim suits — they're just some of nearly 1,000 products sold in Maine that contain PFAS, the so-called "forever" chemicals that can threaten human health and the environment, according to a new analysis.
A 2021 Maine law requires companies to report information to the Department of Environmental Protection on PFAS-containing products they sell in the state. Defend Our Health, a nonprofit public health group based in Portland, analyzed data submitted by 41 of the more than 60 companies that have responded so far.
Per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances are a class of thousands of chemicals developed for commercial and industrial applications, dating to the 1950s. More recent studies have shown that PFAS cannot be safely used in products without causing serious, long-lived pollution during their production, use or disposal.
“Reporting PFAS use is an essential first step to replacing these unnecessary and dangerous chemicals with safer alternatives,” said Mike Belliveau, president and executive director of Defend Our Health, in a news release. “Public reporting of PFAS use in specific products is already spurring manufacturers, policymakers and consumers to switch to safer substitutes.”
Some companies are reformulating their products to remove PFAS. Other companies are expected to report additional products that contain PFAS by the current state deadline of Jan. 1, 2025.
Under Maine law, all uses of PFAS in products sold in the state must be phased out by 2030, unless a use is deemed to be “currently unavoidable,” meaning it’s both essential and lacks a reasonable alternative.
According to Defend Our Health, the reports list 991 products sold in Maine and containing PFAS. The products and some name-brand examples are listed below.
- Apparel: PFAS in 64 products reported by five companies, and including Kinco gloves, Wells Lamont gloves, Mizuno swimsuits
- Automotive products: PFAS in 45 products reported by three companies, and including Liquid Wrench penetrating oil, TiteSeal tire repair
- Batteries: PFAS in four products reported by one company, and including Duracell zinc-air and lithium batteries
- Building product: PFAS in 51 products reported by six companies, and including AquaMix Sealer’s Choice, Polyken spray adhesive, ProBanners sound absorbers, Rock Doctor stone sealer, DuPont Froth-Pak and Styrofoam insulation
- Electronic equipment: PFAS in 151 products reported by two companies, and including OM Systems cameras, lenses and audio recorders; DNP photo printers
- Home appliances: PFAS in 10 products reported by three companies, and including Rowenta steam iron, Lifetime outdoor furniture, Panasonic refrigerators
- Industrial products: PFAS in 12 products reported by three companies, and including MicroCare cleaning fluids, Veolia water filtration, HDM wafer coating
- Kitchen products: PFAS in 86 products reported by five companies, and including Gastrolux and Bklyn non-stick cookware, Vortex air fryer, Wasara dishes
- Office supplies: PFAS in 494 products reported by two companies, and including Five Star school supplies, PLUS team-demi stationery kit
- Personal care products: PFAS in 21 products reported by five companies, and including Anna Sui cosmetics, IGK Extra Love shampoo, R+Co BLEU hairspray, Dose of Colors eyeshadow, Hilco Vision lens cleaning wipes
- Pesticides: PFAS in 50 products reported by five companies, and including Combat, Take Down, Gunslinger, Wisdom, BioAdvanced, Pedigree
- Pet products: PFAS in three products reported by one company, and including Heartland Farms dog treats (packaging).
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