Polyfluoroalkyl Forest
This installation is an interactive piece where the audience was encouraged to participate in the scavenger hunt. The audience was searching for PFAS facts and was instructed to read the fact out loud once it was found. There were 8 separate facts to find in the interactive piece. The items used in the scavenger hunt represent real samples that I have recieved for PFAS testing. The facts used in the work are listed below:
1. Dirt:
PFAS can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources and do not break down in the environment.
2. Inside deer:
PFAS may affect reproduction, thyroid function, and the immune system, injure the liver, and is linked to higher incidences of testicular and kidney cancer.
3. Raincoat pocket:
PFAS are used for stain and water resistance, you might stay dry but you are polluting drinking water, wildlife, and yourself :). Maybe reconsider those Lululemon leggings and learn which companies are utilizing PFAS in production.
4. Inside waterbottle:
Chemical plants making PFAS, product manufacturing plants, firefighting foam, landfills, and the spreading of sludge have led to widespread contamination of drinking water in the U.S. Today, millions of U.S. residents are served by a contaminated drinking water source.
5. Inside fish:
PFAS can build up in crops, fish, and livestock, ultimately contaminating the food we eat. In addition, when PFAS are used in food packaging such as bags, sandwich wrappers, and takeout containers, they can migrate to our food.
6. Popcorn bag
Stay away from greasy or oily packaged and fast foods, as the packages often
contain grease-repellent coatings.
7. Etched into a nonstick skillet
Avoid Teflon or nonstick cookware
8. Written on a makeup mirror
Federal regulation on cosmetics hasn’t been updated since the adoption of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938. Hazardous chemicals such as phthalates, PFAS, and formaldehyde are legally used in a wide array of products from shampoo to lip gloss.
My facts are from ToxicFreeFuture.org
https://toxicfreefuture.org/toxic-chemicals/pfas-forever-chemicals/