We're learning more details about a new state study released Tuesday on toxic chemicals found in Washington water and fish. These perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, are manmade chemicals in products like nonstick cookware, breathable waterproof clothing, and stain resistant coating. KUOW's Sara Lerner reports:

The study found PFCs are widespread in lakes, rivers, fish and wastewater treatment plants. But they're at low levels. Carol Kraege with the Washington State Department of Ecology:

Kraege: "We wanted to know if this particular chemical — which is not manufactured in Washington — if it was showing up in Washington's environment. And that's a characteristic of these kinds of chemicals. They get out into the world and then you find them everywhere, even in remote places."

Kraege says these types of chemicals are the worst of the worst.

Kraege: "They persist, that means they stick around in the environment. They bioaccumulate. It means they get more concentrated as they move up the food chain. And they're toxic."

To see if PFC's could build up in the food chain, the study looked at osprey eggs and did find much higher levels. Kraege says it's not clear what health risk PFCs cause. She says the next step is to do a chemical action plan to find out where the PFCs are coming from and why they're here. She says the state will likely begin that study next summer.

Meanwhile, Washington is among 13 states urging congress to update federal legislation on chemical regulations. Kraege says the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act hasn't changed since 1976. She says it's the only federal environmental law that hasn't been addressed since its inception. Kraege says states just can't keep up with the thousands and thousands of chemicals that are out there.

Kraege: "For example we would hope that, ideally, PFCs would have been kept off the market and widespread use such that — even though we don't manufacture them here, somehow they're showing up in our environment — that would not have happened. That would be the ideal. The EPA would have said, Oh no, these are not the kind of chemicals we want to see in widespread use because they'll get out and we'll never be able to clean them up."

Last month, US representatives Bobby Rush and Henry Waxman introduced legislation to update that toxic chemicals safety act. I'm Sara Lerrner, KUOW News.
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