PFAS Limits Set by Environmental Protection Agency

We’ve all heard about the “forever chemicals” found in nonstick cookware. Scientifically, they’re known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. They’ve been used widely in consumer products since the 1940s but are now classified as toxic because they resist breakdown and remain in the environment and in the human body for an unknown length of time.

We’ve all heard about the “forever chemicals” found in nonstick cookware. Scientifically, they’re known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. They’ve been used widely in consumer products since the 1940s but are now classified as toxic because they resist breakdown and remain in the environment and in the human body for an unknown length of time.
PFAS are impossible to avoid in daily life. Besides cookware, these synthetic chemicals are present in food packaging, stain-resistant fabric treatments and some personal care products such as cosmetics. They’re also used in many industrial processes because they’re resistant to water, oil and heat. They are present in our homes, our workplaces and the places we shop.

Because of unregulated use over the past decades, PFAS have migrated into air, water and soil in many communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 97 percent of Americans have PFAs in their blood. Research is ongoing about the effects of PFAS on human health, but early studies show potential damage to the immune system and major organs such as the liver. Scientists still know little about these compounds, but animal studies have found that even low exposure levels can have a negative impact on health.

The federal government does not require companies to verify the safety of a new chemical before it’s manufactured and sold. If public health concerns are raised, it’s up to the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, to investigate and decide if a chemical is too dangerous. With no federal regulations concerning PFAS, communities across the U.S. have been vulnerable to exposure.
Several states have taken the initiative against PFAS and enacted regulations to control or ban their use. In 2021, Maine became the first state to ban the use of PFAS by 2030. Several other states have followed suit. California, Michigan, New York and a few other states have established enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS, but the federal government has been slow to act on legislation that affects the powerful U.S. chemical industry.

For the first time, the EPA will begin limiting PFAS in drinking water. Announced this past April, the long-awaited action could mark an important landmark in the fight against harmful synthetic chemicals such as PFAS. The new regulations require public water systems to check levels of PFAs in drinking water and make the information available to the public. After three years of monitoring, they will have five years to meet the new standards. According to an EPA press release, “between about 6 percent and 10 percent of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet these new standards.”

Although the EPA’s decision on PFAS is a welcome development, it comes with significant challenges. Enforcing the new regulations will require cooperation among federal, state and local agencies. Luckily, it’s not the first time the EPA has had to police the content of public drinking water. The Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974 requires the EPA to set drinking water quality standards and oversee all public water suppliers covered by the law. It requires the EPA to identify water contaminants that may harm public health. The EPA has been successful in its efforts, with the CDC reporting that the U.S. has “one of the safest and most reliable drinking water systems in the world.”

Nearly $1 billion in new funding from President Biden’s Investing in America program will be given to the EPA. The money will help public water systems monitor PFAS and fix issues. There is also funding to help owners of private wells with toxic pollution. This is the largest-ever investment by the federal government in fighting PFAS.

Finalized PFAS standards were announced at a press conference in Fayetteville, North Carolina, an area affected by PFAS. In 2017, it was announced that the Cape Fear River had been heavily polluted with PFAS from a manufacturing facility. The contamination affected drinking water for nearly one million residents.

“Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan at the event. “That is why President Biden has made tackling PFAS a top priority, investing historic resources to address these harmful chemicals and protect communities nationwide.”

Setting up standards for PFAS in drinking water is an important first step. Next, the EPA and other government entities will need to tackle the bigger problem of existing contamination in places such as Fayetteville. To overcome the threat posed by forever chemicals, government agencies, scientists and communities will need to work together more than ever.

Sources: cdc.gov, epa.gov, www.niehs.nih.gov, saferstates.org and usatoday.com.