GUEST EDITORIAL: Forever Chemicals, Immune Health and Georgia’s Responsibility to Eliminate Dangerous Exposures

By State Representative Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta)

(630 words)

For many Georgians who are living in urban, suburban or rural areas, or near military installations, clean water is not an abstract policy discussion-it is a daily reality. It comes from a well behind the house, a small community water system or a local utility serving families for generations. For the past five years, I have worked to address "forever chemicals," also known as PFAS, and communities are right to ask not only how much exposure is acceptable, but why exposure should be acceptable at all.

PFAS are persistent chemicals that do not readily break down and are housed in our bodies. This is an alarming health risk for the elderly and youth. In Georgia and across the country, they have been associated with contamination near military installations, industrial sites, landfills, farms and firefighting training areas. Communities adjacent to bases, such as Robins Air Force Base and Dobbins Air Reserve Base, have raised legitimate concerns about long-term exposure through drinking water and the cumulative effects on health.

What is increasingly clear from scientific research is that PFAS are immune disruptors. Exposure to phthalates, bisphenols, triclosan and heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium) has been linked to reduced vaccine response, increased susceptibility to illness, heightened inflammation and complications for people living with autoimmune or chronic conditions. For rural communities and military families-who may already face limited healthcare access or aging water infrastructure-this additional burden is unacceptable.

While water contamination rightly receives attention, water is not the only pathway of exposure.

PFAS are also found in everyday consumer products, including some personal care and hygiene items. These exposures are repetitive, intimate and cumulative. When a chemical is used month after month, year after year, the question should not be how much exposure we can tolerate-but whether that exposure is necessary at all.

This is where Georgia must be clear and responsible.

It is not appropriate to rely solely on chemical limits or trace thresholds as a measure of safety when dealing with substances that persist in the human body and the environment. Limits may manage risk, but they do not eliminate harm. When credible science shows that certain chemicals pose risks to immune health-and when safer alternatives exist-Georgia has a responsibility to move toward eliminating those chemicals from products used on and in the body.

That principle is reflected in the Menstrual Product Transparency and Safety Act of 2026 and the Georgia PFAS Reduction and Accountability Act of 2026, which is legislation I plan to introduce to continue addressing a preventable source of exposure. These bills require ingredient transparency and third-party testing so consumers can make informed choices. More importantly, it authorizes Georgia's public health experts to restrict-and where appropriate, ban-the intentional use of dangerous substances, including PFAS, in menstrual products sold in this state.

Rather than embedding static chemical lists into law, the legislation relies on science-driven data and rulemaking by the Georgia Department of Public Health and data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This approach allows Georgia to act decisively while remaining responsive to evolving evidence. It avoids criminal penalties, avoids private lawsuits and provides clear expectations for manufacturers-while prioritizing public health.

For rural and military-adjacent communities, this approach acknowledges a simple reality: when exposure already exists in water, soil or air, policymakers should reduce additional exposure wherever it is within our control. Allowing dangerous chemicals to remain in consumer products simply because they fall below an arbitrary limit fails that responsibility.

This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of stewardship-of our health, our environment and our obligation to act when science makes the path forward clear. Georgia legislators should not settle for managing harm when we have the ability-and the responsibility-to prevent it.

Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 63, which includes a portion of Fulton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves as Secretary of the Urban Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Health, Industry and Labor and Small Business Development committees.

The views expressed above and information shared are those of the author.

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