EPA acts to limit 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed strict limits on six types of "forever chemicals" in drinking water Tuesday. The announcement caps a years-long campaign from scientists, environmentalists and public health advocates who have urged the agency to stop the industrial chemicals from invading Americans' bodies by way of their taps.

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked to an array of health problems, including some cancers, immune issues and developmental risks. Two of the oldest and best-studied, PFOS and PFOA, are regularly found in the environment even though U.S. manufacturers no longer produce them. The forever chemical moniker comes from their tendency to linger in human bodies and resist breaking down.

The chemicals first became a public concern in Minnesota in 2004, when it was revealed that Maplewood-based 3M had disposed of large volumes of the chemicals in leaky landfills in the eastern Twin Cities metro. Today, the state has its own standards for four of the six chemicals to be regulated by the EPA, as well as two more not covered by the EPA, and officials were optimistic that Minnesota would be able to carry out the federal rules.

https://www.startribune.com/epa-acts-to-limit-forever-chemicals-in-drinking-water/600258813/