The United States’ drinking water may be slightly less likely to contain the potentially hazardous substances that 98% of Americans have had their blood tested for during the next three years.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, are a large family of synthetic chemicals that are difficult for the environment to degrade. Many PFAS have been connected to severe health difficulties, such as cancer, problems with fertility, high cholesterol, alteration of hormones, liver damage, obesity, and thyroid illness.
Six PFAS compounds were subject to strict new limits on their presence in public water systems that were recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday. According to the proposed rule, public water systems that serve at least 15 service connections or 25 individuals will have three years to put testing methods in place, start informing the public about PFAS levels, and lower levels if they exceed the new limit.
The EPA stated that drinking water cannot have more than 4 parts per trillion of two of the most extensively researched and possibly harmful chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, as opposed to a previous health advice of 70 parts per trillion.
A hazard index calculation will be used to establish whether the amounts of the additional four substances PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX constitute a potential risk. The Environmental Working Group, a consumer group that tracks exposure to PFAS and other chemicals, said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs, that the computation is “a tool the EPA employs to address the cumulative dangers from all four of those chemicals.”
Benesh declared, “The EPA action is a truly critical and historic step forward.” “While just a few PFAS are covered by the proposed restrictions, they are significant marker chemicals. I believe that making these six tests and treatments mandatory for water utilities will significantly help address other PFAS that are present in the water as well.
