US imposes standards on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water to ‘save lives’
- Toxic PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’ don’t degrade in the environment and are linked to health issues such as low birth weight and kidney cancer
- The new rule would reduce PFAS exposure in the water supply of 100 million people, preventing thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of serious illnesses
Invisible and present in the water, soil, air and food supply, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) accumulate inside our bodies and never break down in the environment.
A new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule would reduce PFAS exposure in the water supply of some 100 million people, preventing thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of serious illnesses, the agency said.
Getting these chemicals out of drinking water will reduce exposure, will reduce the disease burden, and ultimately will save lives
“This is a huge win for public health in the United States,” said Melanie Benesh, who works on policy issues for the non-profit Environmental Working Group.
“Getting these chemicals out of drinking water will reduce exposure, will reduce the disease burden, and ultimately will save lives.”
The rule sets drinking water limits for five individual PFAS.
This includes two of the most commonly found PFAS: a contaminant known as PFOA previously used in non-stick Teflon pans, and PFOS, a compound once used in coatings to protect clothes and carpets in 3M’s Scotchgard and in firefighting foams.