EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’
3 years, 2 months ago

EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Monday it is launching a broad strategy to regulate toxic industrial compounds associated with serious health conditions that are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and firefighting foams. “No one should have to worry about toxic forever chemicals in their tap water,” said Scott Faber, the group’s senior vice president. The group is grateful that the Biden administration will fulfill the president’s pledge to address PFAS and “begin to turn off the tap of industrial PFAS pollution,” Faber said. “We’ve known about PFAS and its dangerous effects for years, and today, the federal government made a commitment to the American people that these chemicals cannot be ignored any longer,’' she said. While praising enforcement actions in North Carolina, Regan said the state would have been in a stronger position “if the federal government would have been a better, stronger partner.’' The EPA under his leadership has “done more in eight months” on PFAS than the previous administration did in four years, he said.

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History of this topic

PFAS found above limits in water bodies in NL and Europe
2 weeks ago

PFAS found above limits in water bodies in NL and Europe

Dutch News  

Many rivers, lakes and coastal waters in the Netherlands and across Europe are contaminated with so-called ‘forever chemicals’ that often exceed the limits set in EU law, an analysis by the European Environment Agency has shown. Of 14 countries that provided data for PFOS in surface water, Belgium, France and Iceland reported 100% of water bodies exceeded the average annual …

More people are drinking toxic “forever chemicals” than ever, EPA report finds
1 month ago

More people are drinking toxic “forever chemicals” than ever, EPA report finds

Salon  

On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency released newly-acquired data showing that over 143 million Americans are exposed to so-called “forever chemicals,” or PFAS. In the analysis, the EPA learned that 11 million more people are exposed to PFAS in their drinking water than was previously reported. In a paper cited by the EPA in their research, scientists publishing in the …

Chemicals in tap water may explain disease explosion in young people - how bad is it in YOUR county?
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Chemicals in tap water may explain disease explosion in young people - how bad is it in YOUR county?

Daily Mail  

'Forever chemicals' found in tap water, food wrappers and shampoo may explain an explosion of disease in young people, a study warns. Long-term exposure to PFAS may lead to an increased risk of prostate, kidney and testicular cancer, developmental delays in children, decreased fertility in women and disruption to the body's hormone balance, according to the EPA. The EPA moved …

Forever chemicals are in our drinking water – here’s how to reduce them
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Forever chemicals are in our drinking water – here’s how to reduce them

Raw Story  

News reports of so-called forever chemicals in drinking water have left people worried about the safety of tap and bottled water. Nevertheless, many news stories have reported on research finding dangerous levels of PFAS chemicals in drinking water sources in England. With this in mind, my colleagues and I measured concentrations of ten key PFAS in 41 samples of tap …

How the election could affect toxic chemical regulation
2 months ago

How the election could affect toxic chemical regulation

Salon  

On a chilly morning in early December 2017, attorney Anthony Spaniola awakened at his cabin on Van Etten Lake in Oscoda, Michigan, to the sight of billowy white froth bobbing along the shore. “You could end up going backwards in environmental protection.” Orme-Zavaleta and others point to Project 2025, an initiative spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, …

Australia to toughen rules on forever chemicals in tap water
2 months ago

Australia to toughen rules on forever chemicals in tap water

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Australia may soon tighten regulations on allowable levels of “forever chemicals” in drinking water, with …

Study finds almost all drinking water contains ‘forever chemicals’ that do not break down naturally
2 months ago

Study finds almost all drinking water contains ‘forever chemicals’ that do not break down naturally

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

Alarm as forever chemicals that can cause birth defects and cancer found in UK bottled AND tap water
2 months, 1 week ago

Alarm as forever chemicals that can cause birth defects and cancer found in UK bottled AND tap water

Daily Mail  

'Forever chemicals', used in everything from cookware to clothing in to make items stain and water resistant are present in both UK bottled and tap water, scientists say. Now British and Chinese experts have found PFAS in tap and bottled water supplies in both their countries. Now British and Chinese experts have found PFAS in tap and bottled water supplies …

PFAS: Chemicals that are everywhere and could affect your health
3 months, 2 weeks ago

PFAS: Chemicals that are everywhere and could affect your health

CNN  

CNN — There are chemicals in cookware, food, water, clothes and furniture that could cause problems for people’s health. These PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they don’t fully break down in the environment — have been used in consumer products since the 1950s. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration has worked with food …

Drinking water firms urge Germany to act on Rhine PFAS discharge
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Drinking water firms urge Germany to act on Rhine PFAS discharge

Dutch News  

Dutch drinking water firms have written to German environment minister Steffi Lemke urging her to “set boundaries” for the discharge of toxic PFAS chemicals into the river Rhine. “Dutch citizens and companies will need more clean drinking water in the coming years, but producing it is becoming increasingly expensive due to industrial dumping in Germany.” the drinking water company association …

Environmental inspectorate complains about too many damaging substances in the water
6 months ago

Environmental inspectorate complains about too many damaging substances in the water

NL Times  

The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate has said that there are too many damaging substances in the groundwater, rivers, streams, and canals. This leads to regional water authorities and drinking water manufacturers increasingly losing money on cleaning the water, and civilians are dealing with the consequences of that. Instead, it would simply be more beneficial if fewer problematic substances were …

Maine’s biggest water district sues over so-called forever chemicals
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Maine’s biggest water district sues over so-called forever chemicals

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — The biggest water district in Maine is suing manufacturers of so-called forever chemicals in the hopes of recouping costs of monitoring and treating polluted wastewater. The Portland Water District lawsuit comes as the cost of the disposal of PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge has doubled from $1.6 million to $3.2 million over the last three years, and Portland has …

Can you actually avoid “forever chemicals” in your diet?
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Can you actually avoid “forever chemicals” in your diet?

Salon  

It’s no secret that many of our favorite foods contain an array of chemicals that can lead to serious health risks. Dubbed “forever chemicals,” PFAS are a group of synthetic chemical compounds that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s because of their ability to resist grease, oil, water, and heat. Both brands later refuted the …

What you need to know about toxic 'forever chemicals' the EPA is restricting
8 months ago

What you need to know about toxic 'forever chemicals' the EPA is restricting

Raw Story  

"What you need to know about toxic “forever chemicals” the EPA is restricting" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Nearly 50 public water systems across Texas have reported exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever limits on …

Is It Too Late to Do Something About Dangerous “Forever Chemicals”?
8 months ago

Is It Too Late to Do Something About Dangerous “Forever Chemicals”?

Slate  

For Esme Deprez, it started with waterproof mascara. “Researchers have found PFAS everywhere they’ve thought to look: the umbilical cords of newborns in Taiwan, the breastmilk of moms in Sweden, polar bears, even air and rainwater worldwide,” Deprez said. That’s why, last week, the Biden administration took what seemed like a big step toward eliminating the forever chemical threat by …

’Matter of concern’: NGT directs TNPCB, WRD to file reports on ‘forever chemicals’ in Chennai waterbodies
8 months ago

’Matter of concern’: NGT directs TNPCB, WRD to file reports on ‘forever chemicals’ in Chennai waterbodies

The Hindu  

The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has expressed concerns about the presence of ‘forever chemicals’ in Chennai waterbodies. Taking suo motu cognisance of chemical contamination in Buckingham Canal, Adyar River, and Chembarambakkam Lake based on news reports on a study done by Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the bench noted that the presence of polyfluoroalkyl substances — synthetic …

Why is the EPA regulating PFAS and what are these ‘forever chemicals’?
8 months, 1 week ago

Why is the EPA regulating PFAS and what are these ‘forever chemicals’?

Associated Press  

On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized limits on certain common types of PFAS chemicals in drinking water. PFAS accumulates in the body, which is why EPA set their limits for drinking water at 4 parts per trillion for two common types — PFOA and PFOS — that are phased out of manufacturing but still are present in the environment. …

Biden administration sets first-ever limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Biden administration sets first-ever limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

Associated Press  

The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured. “Even tiny, tiny, tiny amounts each time you take a drink of water over your lifetime is going to keep adding up, leading to the health effects.” PFAS …

Federal EPA limits toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Federal EPA limits toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

LA Times  

The Environmental Protection Agency early Wednesday issued federal limits on dangerous “forever chemicals” in drinking water, which it believes will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses including cancer. The new rules require that water systems monitor for six toxic chemicals known as PFAS. David Andrews, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, said that although water systems must …

Survey finds PFAS in 71% of shallow private wells across Wisconsin
1 year, 1 month ago

Survey finds PFAS in 71% of shallow private wells across Wisconsin

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Nearly three-quarters of water samples drawn from hundreds of private wells across Wisconsin last year were contaminated with PFAS chemicals, a survey state environmental officials released Friday found. The study marks the state’s first attempt to sample shallow groundwater away from major municipalities or PFAS cleanup and investigation sites. About 99% of the contaminated samples had PFAS …

Can we take the ‘forever’ out of forever chemicals?
1 year, 2 months ago

Can we take the ‘forever’ out of forever chemicals?

BBC  

Can we take the ‘forever’ out of forever chemicals? Craig Fritz Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories are working on a material that can absorb forever chemicals Nicknamed "forever chemicals", PFAS are ubiquitous. While another team at the University of California, Riverside, are using "deep UV" – extremely low wavelengths of ultraviolet light – to break PFAS down under ambient conditions …

Editorial: Get the ‘forever chemicals’ out of our drinking water
1 year, 4 months ago

Editorial: Get the ‘forever chemicals’ out of our drinking water

LA Times  

A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that nearly half of the drinking water in the United States is contaminated with “forever chemicals,” the per- and polyfluoroakyl substances known as PFAS that can cause cancer and other health complications. Los Angeles County supervisors this week launched an effort to assess the full extent of PFAS contamination in drinking …

Risk of tap water exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals higher in Southern California
1 year, 5 months ago

Risk of tap water exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals higher in Southern California

LA Times  

Nearly 50% of the nation’s tap water is estimated to have at least one type of PFAS, a group of harmful “forever chemicals.” Tap water in urban areas of Southern and Central California appears more likely to be contaminated by PFAS “forever chemicals” than drinking water in many other regions of the nation, although rural Californians are far less likely …

US residents in urban areas under health risk from drinking of PFAS contaminated tap water: Report
1 year, 5 months ago

US residents in urban areas under health risk from drinking of PFAS contaminated tap water: Report

Hindustan Times  

Chemical contamination in tap water in the United States is putting its citizens under the risk of health ailments like cancer, low birth weight and thyroid disease. A national study released on Tuesday, from the U.S. Geological Survey shows that nearly half of the tap water in US is contaminated with at least one type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, …

'Forever chemicals' could be in nearly half of U.S. tap water, a federal study finds
1 year, 5 months ago

'Forever chemicals' could be in nearly half of U.S. tap water, a federal study finds

NPR  

'Forever chemicals' could be in nearly half of U.S. tap water, a federal study finds Enlarge this image toggle caption Rogelio V. Solis/AP Rogelio V. Solis/AP At least 45% of the nation's tap water could be contaminated with at least one form of PFAS known as "forever chemicals," according to a newly released study by the U.S. Geological Survey. "This …

Study says drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals
1 year, 5 months ago

Study says drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals

Associated Press  

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets likely contains “forever chemicals” that may cause cancer and other health problems, according to a government study released Wednesday. The synthetic compounds known collectively as PFAS are contaminating drinking water to varying extents in large cities and small towns — and in private wells and public systems, the …

3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement over contamination of water systems with ‘forever chemicals’
1 year, 6 months ago

3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement over contamination of water systems with ‘forever chemicals’

Associated Press  

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Chemical manufacturer 3M Co. will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products, the company said Thursday. 3M chairman Mike Roman said the deal was “an important step forward” that builds on the …

3M reaches $10.3-billion settlement over ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water systems
1 year, 6 months ago

3M reaches $10.3-billion settlement over ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water systems

LA Times  

A researcher pours a water sample into a glass container for testing at an Environmental Protection Agency center in Cincinnati. Chemical manufacturer 3M will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over the contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products, the company said Thursday. …

UK drinking water is safe, insists Environment Secretary Therese Coffey
1 year, 8 months ago

UK drinking water is safe, insists Environment Secretary Therese Coffey

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Drinking water is safe, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey has said, despite the recommended safe allowance …

Minnesota officials plug fight against ‘forever chemicals’
1 year, 9 months ago

Minnesota officials plug fight against ‘forever chemicals’

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota pollution and health officials made the case at the State Capitol on Thursday for legislation to restrict nonessential uses of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, and for the $45.6 million that Gov. “PFAS is an urgent public health and environmental issue facing Minnesota and the nation,” Katrina Kessler, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, …

Where do 'forever chemicals' in drinking water come from?
1 year, 9 months ago

Where do 'forever chemicals' in drinking water come from?

BBC  

Where do 'forever chemicals' in drinking water come from? Mehmet Kaman/Getty Images The foam used to fight fires involving flammable liquids, such as on aircraft, often contain PFAS which can then get into the wider environment The US is introducing new environmental protections aimed at limiting long-lived PFAS chemicals in tap water, but these are only the tip of a …

EPA to limit toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
1 year, 9 months ago

EPA to limit toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water, a long-awaited protection the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer. “The science is clear that long-term exposure to PFAS is linked to significant health risks,” Radhika Fox, assistant EPA administrator for water, said …

EPA moves to limit toxic 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
1 year, 9 months ago

EPA moves to limit toxic 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

NPR  

EPA moves to limit toxic 'forever chemicals' in drinking water Enlarge this image toggle caption Travis Long/AP Travis Long/AP The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed limiting the amount of harmful "forever chemicals" in drinking water to the lowest level that tests can detect, a long-awaited protection the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including …

EPA proposes first-ever limits on PFAS in drinking water
1 year, 9 months ago

EPA proposes first-ever limits on PFAS in drinking water

Salon  

The Environmental Protection Agency released long-awaited proposed standards for cancer-causing "forever chemicals" in drinking water on Tuesday. This marks the first time the EPA has proposed enforceable drinking water limits for PFAS, which are commonly known as "forever chemicals" because they do not break down over time and can remain in the environment for years on end. The proposed limits …

EPA to limit toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
1 year, 9 months ago

EPA to limit toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

LA Times  

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water, a long-awaited protection the agency said would save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer. “The science is clear that long-term exposure to PFAS is linked to significant health risks,” Radhika Fox, assistant EPA administrator for water, said in an …

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ about to get their first US limits
1 year, 9 months ago

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ about to get their first US limits

Associated Press  

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose restrictions on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable. Concerned about the chemicals’ ability to weaken children’s immune systems, the EPA said last year that PFAS could cause harm at levels “much lower than previously understood.” “We as a community …

‘Forever chemicals’ are everywhere. The battle over who pays to clean them up is just getting started.
2 years, 3 months ago

‘Forever chemicals’ are everywhere. The battle over who pays to clean them up is just getting started.

Politico  

Early estimates of the cost of removing PFAS from drinking water nationwide are about $400 billion — dwarfing the cost of settlements and cleanup costs from environmental contamination like asbestos and lead pipes or other public health settlements tied to tobacco and opioids. “The manufacturers of PFAS are in effect creating a water affordability problem for the people of New …

EPA to designate forever chemicals found in tap water as 'hazardous substances'
2 years, 3 months ago

EPA to designate forever chemicals found in tap water as 'hazardous substances'

Daily Mail  

The Environmental Protection Agency is set to designate 'forever chemicals' found in some tap water, food packaging and kitchenware as hazardous material as experts have learned in recent months that they are more dangerous than previous believed. Often found on non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing and in tap water and shampoo, increased research has emerged in recent months finding that exposure …

EPA to designate ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances
2 years, 3 months ago

EPA to designate ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency moved Friday to designate two “forever chemicals” used in cookware, carpets and firefighting foams as hazardous substances, a step that would clear the way for quicker cleanup of the toxic compounds, which have been linked to cancer and other health problems. “Communities have suffered far too long from exposure to these forever chemicals,’' EPA …

Scientists find simple, safe method to destroy ‘forever chemicals’
2 years, 4 months ago

Scientists find simple, safe method to destroy ‘forever chemicals’

The Hindu  

“Forever chemicals” used in daily items like nonstick pans have long been linked to serious health issues — a result of their toxicity and extreme resistance to being broken down as waste products. Chemists in the United States and China on Thursday said they had finally found a breakthrough method to degrade these polluting compounds, referred to as PFAS, using …

Rainwater everywhere on Earth contains cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’
2 years, 4 months ago

Rainwater everywhere on Earth contains cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “There has been an astounding decline in guideline values for PFAS in drinking water in the last 20 years,” …

EPA: ‘Forever chemicals’ pose risk even at very low levels
2 years, 6 months ago

EPA: ‘Forever chemicals’ pose risk even at very low levels

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water are more dangerous than previously thought and pose health risks even at levels so low they cannot currently be detected. “That’s why EPA is taking aggressive action as part of a whole-of-government approach to prevent these chemicals from entering the environment and …

EPA: 'Forever chemicals' pose risk even at very low levels
2 years, 6 months ago

EPA: 'Forever chemicals' pose risk even at very low levels

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The EPA on Wednesday issued nonbinding health advisories that …

Wisconsin Republicans allow PFAS standards to take effect
2 years, 6 months ago

Wisconsin Republicans allow PFAS standards to take effect

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Republicans will allow regulations Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration developed to control pollution from a group of chemicals known as PFAS to take effect, a spokesman for the lawmaker who controls the Legislature’s rules committee said Monday. “While we are glad to see these rules move forward, we are mindful that Wisconsinites whose water comes from …

Board adopts PFAS standards for drinking, surface waters
2 years, 10 months ago

Board adopts PFAS standards for drinking, surface waters

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Department of Natural Resources policy board adopted Wisconsin’s first limits on so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking and surface water Wednesday, handing Democratic Gov. Evers has been pushing to curtail PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pollution since he took office in 2019, going so far as to declare his first year in office “the year of …

Dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ contaminate US tap water: Report
3 years, 1 month ago

Dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ contaminate US tap water: Report

Al Jazeera  

Water consumed by millions contains chemicals linked to cancer, brain damage and more, according to new report. Decaying infrastructure and pollution from toxic “forever chemicals” are causing tens of millions of United States residents to drink contaminated water, increasing the risk of cancer and other ailments, according to a new report. “It’s striking and frustrating how little is being done …

Editorial: ‘Forever chemicals’ are everywhere. It’s time to rein them in
3 years, 2 months ago

Editorial: ‘Forever chemicals’ are everywhere. It’s time to rein them in

LA Times  

Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a class of man-made chemicals that break down slowly in the environment, can accumulate in the human body and have been linked to all manner of negative health effects from cancer to high cholesterol. That’s why it was heartening that the Biden administration announced this week a sweeping three-year plan to regulate the …

EPA Unveils Strategy To Regulate Toxic 'Forever Chemicals'
3 years, 2 months ago

EPA Unveils Strategy To Regulate Toxic 'Forever Chemicals'

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is launching a broad strategy to regulate toxic industrial compounds associated with serious health conditions that are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and firefighting foams. Michael Regan, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said it is taking a series of actions to limit pollution from a cluster of …

EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’
3 years, 2 months ago

EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’

LA Times  

The Biden administration is launching a broad strategy to regulate toxic industrial compounds associated with serious health conditions that are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and firefighting foams. The state proposed the nation’s toughest limits on PFAS in drinking water earlier this summer, recommending a standard of.007 part per trillion for PFOA, and 1 part per trillion …

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