David Andrews, Ph.D.

It looks like a number of these newer chemicals have a better safety profile in addition to better UVA protection. We have asked the FDA to consider allowing market access.

That's an indication that when something is done, and when we stop using the chemicals, stop releasing them into the environment, the concentrations [in our bodies] do go down.

What is most alarming about these findings is that chemicals are absorbing into the body in significant amounts and the ingredients have not been fully tested for safety.

It’s nearly impossible to avoid contaminated drinking water from these chemicals.

The testing results that EPA provided indicate that the new perfluoro ether compounds detected in the water and soil in New Jersey are a serious concern from a public health perspective,

Clothing is often treated with stain-repellents, color-fasteners, anti-wrinkle agents, softness-enhancers, and any number of other chemical treatments. Clothing manufacturers don’t have to disclose any of these to customers, and many of the chemicals, including a popular type of waterproofing chemical called fluorosurfactants (often referred to as PFAS), have little or no research backing their safety.

For a decade, EWG has worked to raise concerns about sunscreens with oxybenzone, which is found in nearly all Americans, detected in breast milk, and potentially causing endocrine disruption.

It took decades of study before we really understood how potent [PFAS] are. We have to give up the assumption that all of these chemicals are perfectly safe ... These chemicals are concerning and we should eliminate as much [exposure to them] as possible.