All you need to know about:
Per & Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
What is PFAS?
PFAS is a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS has been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s. PFAS is a family of approximately 5,000 – 10,000 man-made organic chemicals.
PFAS can be found in various everyday items, such as:
Non-stick Cookware
Fabric Stain Protectors
Personal Care Products
Food Packaging
Firefighting Foam
Fast Food Containers
PFAS & Health
Exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects such as kidney cancer and testicular cancer (PFOA), impaired liver function, impaired fertility, chronic intestinal inflammation, a weakened immune system, high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure during pregnancy.
Why is PFAS harmful?
Due to their chemical composition PFAS do not easily break down. They can persist in human body and in the environment for decades. There are five pathways of exposure:
5 Exposure Pathways:
- Drinking Water
- Food Packaging and Prep.
- Fish & Crop Exposure
- Employee Exposure
- Hand-to-mouth
Typical Disposal Methods:
Several disposal methods are considered for PFAS such as, incineration, landfill disposal, and underground injection well. Incomplete destruction of PFAS compounds can result in the formation of smaller PFAS products, or products of incomplete combustion (PICs) Disposal of PFAS in landfills come with lots of uncertainty as the PFAS remains mostly unchanged.
Underground Injection Well Disposal:
Liquid wastes are injected in porous geologic formation at the depth where ground water is not usable. UIC well can be very effective in direct disposal of liquid PFAS waste or the treatment residual of other PFAS treatment options.
The Services We Provide:
Midway Environmental Services, Inc. (MES) the only commercial/industrial Class I injection well in Oklahoma. MES has a state-ofthe-art facility which is capable of handling PFAS waste securely and effectively.
