![\"Civil](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CSF-L-PFAS-0329-2.jpg\")
Civil and environmental engineering professor Sudarshan Kurwadkar, center, with his colleagues (Photo courtesy of Cal State Fullerton)<\/p>\nDeveloped in the 1940s and widely used in a variety of products and industries, the synthetic substances perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl were lauded for their ability to repel water and grease, reduce flammability and resist degradation. But this class of substances, commonly referred to as \u201cPFAS,\u201d are toxic \u201cforever chemicals\u201d that don\u2019t break down over time. This is a serious concern, especially given that an estimated 97% of Americans have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n
This PFAS issue was the subject of a lecture by Sudarshan Kurwadkar, Cal State Fullerton professor of civil and environmental engineering, on March 25 in the campus\u2019 Pollak Library. Focusing on our drinking water, Kurwadkar\u2019s talk, \u201cPFAS in California: Scale, Science, and Communities at Risk,\u201d reviewed the magnitude and distribution of these substances in the state, their many troubling health effects, sources of contamination, government intervention and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe EPA has documented nearly 14,000 types of PFAS thus far, but the main focus in the scientific community has been on two types, PFOA and PFOS, since they were produced in such large quantities,\u201d Kurwadkar said. \u201cThey\u2019re used in a variety of consumer and industrial products: textiles, cosmetics, food packaging, cookware and more. \u2026 And they\u2019ve been associated with many types of diseases: kidney, prostate, testicular cancers, among others. Another element is their neuro-developmental toxicity, resulting in ADHD, lowered IQ and such. Then there\u2019s decreased fertility. But there are many other health effects that we haven\u2019t identified.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than 25 million Californians use community water systems that rely entirely or partially on groundwater, which has been polluted by PFAS. \u201cWe live in a drought-prone region,\u201d Kurwadkar said, \u201cand we use both groundwater and surface water sources (the latter from rain, rivers, lakes and reservoirs). However, during drought season, we really need the groundwater. \u2026 So many products that contain PFAS wind up in landfills and, as a result, groundwater becomes vulnerable. And this issue doesn\u2019t include contamination due to the illegal discharge of PFAS.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kurwadkar discussed what selected water utilities in California have been doing to mitigate potential PFAS exposure through drinking water, including the installation of water-treatment systems specifically designed to remove these chemicals. In addition, he noted some of the assembly bills that California has passed to curb the use of PFAS-containing products.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trouble with these water-treatment units is that they don\u2019t actually remove or destroy PFAS,\u201d said Kurwadkar, the 2025 recipient of CSUF\u2019s Outstanding Professor Award. \u201cThey convert it from an aqueous form into a solid form. So eventually, you\u2019re sitting on a pile of concentrated PFAS that needs to be managed further. \u2026 PFOS and PFOA (the most prominent and studied of the toxins) were phased out in 2015, but these compounds are not degradable; they persist.\u201d<\/p>\n
Civil and environmental engineering professor Sudarshan Kurwadkar, center, with his colleagues (Photo courtesy of Cal State Fullerton)<\/p>\n
During his lecture, Kurwadkar stressed how those living in economically and ethnically marginalized neighborhoods are more severely affected by environmental pollution. \u201cPeople living in Beverly Hills have the tools to remove impurities from their water, like at-home water filter systems,\u201d he said. \u201cBut this luxury obviously won\u2019t be used by those who can\u2019t afford them. Instead, they must rely entirely on the community water system. \u2026 In addition, many of these marginalized communities are located near facilities that produce PFAS. Do you think a millionaire will live next to a PFAS-producing factory?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kurwadkar reviewed the evolution of the regulatory frameworks that have addressed the PFAS problem, including the March 2024 federal maximum containment level, which limits these chemicals to four parts per trillion. \u201cThat\u2019s like one drop of water in an Olympic swimming pool,\u201d he said. \u201cIf water in a given district exceeds this level, they have to monitor and address it. \u2026 The problem today is the current administration\u2019s efforts to rescind this guideline; the EPA is trying to roll back its own regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kurwadkar noted how individuals can reduce their PFAS exposure. One option is to purchase products that are now labeled \u201cPFAS-free,\u201d in the same way certain foods are designated gluten-free.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about making prudent choices,\u201d Kurwadkar said. \u201cYou can avoid cosmetics that contain PFAS. Avoid microwavable popcorn and fast-food packaging. Don\u2019t buy grease- and stain-resistant clothing, or any type of waterproof material. Look for products that are labeled \u2018no PFAS.\u2019 For example, some PFAS-free nonstick cookware products and carpeting are labeled as such.\u201d<\/p>\n
Climate change is also a factor in the PFAS issue. \u201cWe don\u2019t know if extreme climactic events, like flooding, will further contaminate our aquifer systems,\u201d Kurwadkar said. \u201cWe\u2019re kind of sitting here and looking at what the future unfolds. \u2026 So, it\u2019s important that we keep government regulations in place, monitor climatic conditions and maintain a resilient infrastructure to help mitigate the PFAS risks.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Developed in the 1940s and widely used in a variety of products and industries, the synthetic substances perfluoroalkyl…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248572,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,2627,7,2628,2306,23,611,77],"class_list":{"0":"post-248571","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-anaheim","8":"tag-anaheim","9":"tag-anaheim-headlines","10":"tag-anaheim-news","11":"tag-cal-state-fullerton","12":"tag-california","13":"tag-fullerton","14":"tag-higher-education","15":"tag-local-news","16":"tag-orange-county","17":"tag-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}