These things are for sure what’s giving me anxiety as an American. I’m trying to start a community garden for those who live in apartments and cannot grow their own food. Otherwise I don’t know what to do. It seems history teaches us revolting is the only way out of this but I don’t see Americans actually doing that. They will not even strike.
That’s a good thing you’re doing there. If you’re looking for advice, just contact me. My dad grew up on a farm and passed most of his knowledge to me, so I know hacks that most people don’t.
Worse, there is no firm definition of exactly what a PFAS is—at least in the United States. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which works with 38 member nations including the U.S. to foster international cooperation and economic growth, defines PFAS as industrial chemicals that have at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom—which is a carbon atom with two or three fluorine atoms attached to it. There are about 15,000 species of chemicals that meet that standard. But the EPA has pushed back, broadening the definition to two fully fluorinated carbon atoms. “The final definition does not include substances that only have a single fluorinated carbon,” the agency wrote in its formal report in 2023—during Joe Biden’s presidency. That change is worrying.
A minimum of 2 fully fluorinated carbon atoms instead of 1 is NOT broadening the definition. That’s narrowing it.
A minimum of 2 fully fluorinated carbon atoms instead of 1 is NOT broadening the definition. That’s narrowing it.
Think of the definition as a sluice gate. When you allow more things through, you’re opening it wider, therefore broadening the definition. I know it’s counter-intuitive sometimes to think of it like that. Narrowing the definition would be to let fewer things through, thus closing the gate.
Edit:
Reading through the discourse below, I think I see the points made. It might should be reversed.
Allowing more things through, if I understand your analogy correctly in this case, is broadening the exceptions – things not matched by the definition.
But, I’ll bite, let’s dive in. In a Venn diagram, substances with a minimum of 2 fully fluorinated carbon atoms is a subset of substances with a minimum of 1fully fluorinated carbon atoms, yes?
Similarly, M&Ms with only red and green colors is a subset of M&Ms of any color, yes? If a person was to change their personal definition of acceptable M&Ms from any color to only red and/or green, would you call that broadening that definition?
The EPA definition would exclude chemicals like trifluoroethanol, so the EPA’s definition is narrower, not broader.
From a strict organic chemistry perspective, trifluoroethanol contains a perfluorinated methyl group, and methyl is a type of alkyl, therefore it must be considered a PerFluoro Alkyl Substance.
I seem to be out of the loop. What happened?
The EPA Is Embracing PFAS Pesticides. These Are The Health Risks
https://time.com/7336883/epa-pfas-pesticides-health-risks/
FDA poised to kill proposal that would require asbestos testing for cosmetics
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/28/fda-proposal-asbestos-testing-talc-cosmetics
Trump blames others but Washington air crash comes amid upheaval in US aviation
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/30/trump-washington-plane-crash-analysis
Foreign Food Safety Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Cuts
https://www.propublica.org/article/foreign-food-safety-inspections-historic-low-fda
These things are for sure what’s giving me anxiety as an American. I’m trying to start a community garden for those who live in apartments and cannot grow their own food. Otherwise I don’t know what to do. It seems history teaches us revolting is the only way out of this but I don’t see Americans actually doing that. They will not even strike.
That’s a good thing you’re doing there. If you’re looking for advice, just contact me. My dad grew up on a farm and passed most of his knowledge to me, so I know hacks that most people don’t.
From the first article:
A minimum of 2 fully fluorinated carbon atoms instead of 1 is NOT broadening the definition. That’s narrowing it.
Think of the definition as a sluice gate. When you allow more things through, you’re opening it wider, therefore broadening the definition. I know it’s counter-intuitive sometimes to think of it like that. Narrowing the definition would be to let fewer things through, thus closing the gate.
Edit: Reading through the discourse below, I think I see the points made. It might should be reversed.
Allowing more things through, if I understand your analogy correctly in this case, is broadening the exceptions – things not matched by the definition.
But, I’ll bite, let’s dive in. In a Venn diagram, substances with a minimum of 2 fully fluorinated carbon atoms is a subset of substances with a minimum of 1fully fluorinated carbon atoms, yes? Similarly, M&Ms with only red and green colors is a subset of M&Ms of any color, yes? If a person was to change their personal definition of acceptable M&Ms from any color to only red and/or green, would you call that broadening that definition?
But wouldn’t requireing two fluoridated carbon atoms instead of just one to qualify as PFAS, encompass less chemicals, thus narrowing the definition?
The EPA definition would exclude chemicals like trifluoroethanol, so the EPA’s definition is narrower, not broader.
From a strict organic chemistry perspective, trifluoroethanol contains a perfluorinated methyl group, and methyl is a type of alkyl, therefore it must be considered a PerFluoro Alkyl Substance.
Ass cancer is the price for freedum!
wait what. how do I not know this being an American?
Media lies
Media hides
toche
something about how food is dangerous in America now. bites into hamburger I dunno, I only have like 100 rare diseases now.