EPA announces rollback on forever chemical limits. What that means for your drinking water
In a major announcement on Wednesday, the government said that the EPA is rolling back limits on forever chemicals, or PFAS.
The announcement overturns a landmark move by the Biden administration that required companies, for the first time, to limit six forever chemicals from leaching into our water.
The data reporting from companies was supposed to start in 2027, but now, that has been delayed.
Like a lot of metro Atlantans, Natasha Dixie buys her water instead of using what comes out of her tap.
'It scares me,' Dixie told Channel 2 investigative reporter Sophia Choi. 'Because it has the chemicals in it, and I don't want to give it to my family.'
Chemicals, like PFAS, are man-made forever chemicals and are used in hundreds of products like stain and water-resistant fabrics, nonstick pots and pans, food containers, and even makeup.
RELATED STORIES:
Feds no longer planning on cleaning up harmful forever chemicals in drinking water
UGA researchers working to limit 'forever chemicals' in water as EPA announces new restrictions
WARNING: Toxic chemicals found in makeup -- even high-end brands, investigation finds
They can cause all sorts of health issues, including cancer and developmental problems.
That's why the Biden administration wanted to start limiting them in our drinking water, starting with six out of thousands of known variants.
But the Environmental Protection Agency announced it is relooking at the requirement for four of them and delaying the requirement for the other two until 2031.
Right now, researchers at a University of Georgia lab in Griffin are working on ways to get the forever chemicals out of our water.
'They are robust. They don't easily degrade,' researcher Jack Huang said.
The team collected samples from wastewater treatment plants and tested them for forever chemicals, before using various methods to try and remove them, including filters, chemicals and electric shocks.
'We know it is a forever chemical. And so, we're trying to figure out ways to get rid of it within the treatment plants,' researcher Gary Hawkins said.
For many Georgia families, even a small amount is too much risk.
'I don't use water from the tap. Never,' Stephanie Amir said.
The EPA said one reason for the delay is the testing method. They want to make sure the software used to collect and analyze the data from manufacturers is accurate.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chances are you have 'forever chemicals' in your blood. See PFAS levels in your Florida city
Water. "Forever chemicals." Those are words you generally don't want to see together. For 42 million Americans, it hits home. Water coming from their faucets is contaminated with unacceptable levels of 'forever chemicals,' according to a USA TODAY analysis of records the Environmental Protection Agency released on June 2. Studies have shown the chemicals can accumulate in our bodies, leading to certain cancers and other health complications. What's even worse is that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS, are a family of manmade chemicals engineered to be nearly indestructible. Here's what you should know, including how to find out if any of the forever chemicals are in your water and how you can limit some exposure to PFAS. Over the past two years, the EPA has collected complete sets of test results from about 6,900 drinking water systems, with thousands more expected as the PFAS testing initiative continues another year. USA TODAY's analysis of these systems with complete results shows nearly a quarter of large water utilities serving at least 100,000 customers exceeded limits the EPA approved last year on two chemicals: PFOS and PFOA. According to a 2020 study published in "Science" by the Environmental Working Group, an estimated 200 million Americans are served by water systems that contain PFAS. "And it's not just public systems; a 2023 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found approximately 20% of private wells are contaminated." Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, abbreviated as PFAS and known as forever chemicals, have been around since the 1950s. They're used in many products, from cosmetics to nonstick cookware. PFAS are used in the aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics industries. Over time, PFAS may leak into the soil, water, and air, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. "PFAS molecules have a chain of linked carbon and fluorine atoms. Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest, these chemicals do not degrade easily in the environment," according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. They can last for thousands of years, according to Carsten Prasee, assistant professor in Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins. 'We estimate there are more than 12,000 individual PFAS compounds, and unfortunately for most of them, we have basically no understanding about toxicity." The most common method of destroying PFAS is incineration, but some studies indicate this fails to eliminate all the chemicals, and instead releases the remaining pollution into the air, according to Johns Hopkins. "In water treatment systems, the main methods for destroying PFAS are reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and ion-exchange resins — but these technologies are costly." PFAS are synthetic compounds that "are an unseen ingredient in many items that we use in our daily lives, like cleaning products, food packaging, nonstick cookware, cosmetics, personal care items like dental floss, water-repellent clothing, as well as stain-resistant carpets and upholstery," according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 'Unfortunately, PFAS are also present in biosolids which are used as agricultural fertilizer,' creating a pathway from contaminated soil to produce in the grocery store." "When items containing PFAS inevitably reach landfills, the compounds leach into the environment. And every day, people flush PFA-laden products — like shampoo, cleaning liquids, even some toilet papers — down the drain." "People are most likely exposed to these chemicals by consuming PFAS-contaminated water or food, using products made with PFAS, or breathing air containing PFAS," according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. "Because PFAS break down slowly, if at all, people and animals are repeatedly exposed to them, and blood levels of some PFAS can build up over time." An estimated 98% of the U.S. population has detectable concentrations in their blood, according to Johns Hopkins. The Centers for Disease Control said 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood. Research has said there are possible links between human exposures to certain PFAS and some adverse health outcomes, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. These health effects include: Reduced ability of the immune system to fight infections. Altered metabolism and body weight regulation, and risk of childhood obesity. Increased risk of some cancers. Other health problems linked to PFAS listed by the Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control include: Delay of puberty in girls Decrease in bone mineral density Type 2 diabetes in women Increased risk for thyroid cancer Liver damage Increases in cholesterol levels Lower antibody response to some vaccines Pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia Small decreases in birth weight Kidney and testicular cancer Prasse and other experts recommend a variety of actions to minimize exposure to PFAS: Avoid using nonstick cookware. Limit use of food packaging, such as grease-resistant takeout containers. Filter your water at the tap, with pitchers that are certified for PFAS. Avoid wearing water-resistant textiles. Seek out PFAS-free retailers' products — including menstrual products and large items like carpets or furniture. Some products that may contain PFAS include: Stain-resistant carpets, upholstery, and other fabrics. Water-resistant clothing. Cleaning products. Personal care products and cosmetics (such as shampoo, dental floss, nail polish, and eye makeup). Paints, varnishes, and sealants. USA TODAY found 774 systems don't meet the limits for forever chemicals. These utilities will likely need to install advanced filtration systems or find alternative sources of drinking water by 2031. The deadline for systems to meet the water standards was originally set for 2029, but in May, the EPA proposed an extension and announced it intends to rescind limits on four other types of PFAS set under the Biden administration in 2024. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the delay was to provide 'common-sense flexibility' to 'support water systems across the country, including small systems in rural communities, as they work to address these contaminants.' This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 'Forever chemicals', PFAS contaminate US, Florida drinking water
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ali Velshi: The U.S. may have just entered the most dangerous chapter of the post-Roe era yet
This is an adapted excerpt from the June 8 episode of 'Velshi.' We may have just entered the most dangerous chapter of the post-Roe era to date. With new, but little-noticed, developments over recent days, it's apparent that not only are women under greater threat of being criminalized for their pregnancies, but the health and lives of pregnant women are more endangered now than at any time since the Dobbs decision was handed down. Since the Supreme Court's 2022 decision, draconian abortion bans have been enacted in more than a dozen states. We have seen the deadly impact of those bans. In Georgia, Amber Thurman died of sepsis after not receiving an abortion procedure, known as dilation and curettage, that could have saved her life. Also in Georgia, Candi Miller died after she was too afraid to seek medical care because of the state's abortion ban. In Texas, Josseli Barnica, Porsha Ngumezi and Nevaeh Crain all died after being denied proper care following miscarriages. And in the same state, Kylie Thurman lost part of her reproductive system after being turned away from a Texas hospital with an ectopic pregnancy. These are just some of the cases we know about. To put it quite simply: Abortion is health care, emergency abortion is emergency health care — and without it, women die. Despite that fact, last week the Trump administration revoked guidance issued by the Biden administration that directed hospitals to provide emergency abortions to women regardless of a state's abortion laws. So why would the Trump administration want to come after emergency abortions specifically? The ones where, if you don't get them, you could die? Well, University of California, Davis law professor Mary Ziegler has a theory. She notes that the new guidance from the Trump administration does not just revoke the Biden-era guidance on providing emergency abortions, it also suggests that hospitals are required to protect the health of a pregnant woman's 'unborn child.' This, Ziegler suggests, hints at a broader anti-abortion strategy. As she writes in a new piece for MSNBC: 'In the longer term, the end of the Biden-era guidance may be the tip of the sword further carving up abortion protections, even in states where that right is still protected.' So not only is it dangerous to experience a pregnancy complication in the wrong state, it's likely to get more complicated even if you live in a 'safe' state. But that is not even the end of the alarming trends in anti-abortion zealotry. Miscarriage is the most common pregnancy complication in America, affecting up to 1 in 5 pregnancies, according to the National Institutes of Health. And yet, since Dobbs was handed down, we have seen case after case of this common medical condition becoming a criminal investigation. Mallori Patrice Strait spent five months in police custody after miscarrying in a public bathroom in Texas. Those charges were dropped, and an autopsy determined she had naturally miscarried a nonviable fetus. Brittany Watts was arrested on felony corpse abuse charges in Ohio, for her miscarriage, which happened at home after she had been to a hospital with severe bleeding and was told her pregnancy was not viable. The charges against her were eventually dropped. In Georgia, Selena Maria Chandler-Scott had a miscarriage and was arrested for disposing of the fetal tissue. Those charges were also dropped. In South Carolina, Amari Marsh was accused of murder after losing her pregnancy. She was held in jail without bond for 22 days, ultimately released on house arrest with an ankle monitor. Thirteen months later, she was cleared by a grand jury. If you're not following these stories closely, it might be tempting to think of each as a one-off: a bad arrest or a wrong judgment call. But make no mistake, this is systematic criminalization of women's bodies — and they are saying it out loud. Tom Truman, a prosecutor for Raleigh County, West Virginia, said that while he would be unwilling to charge a woman for her miscarriage, other prosecuting attorneys in the state have discussed the possibility. Speaking to a local news outlet, Truman advised that if women who miscarry want to avoid arrest, they should call authorities to tell them that their pregnancy has ended. 'Call your doctor. Call law enforcement, or 911, and just say, 'I miscarried. I want you to know,'' Truman said. ''Isn't there a difference between somebody that's eight months pregnant and nine weeks pregnant?' … Those are going to be decisions that are going to have to be parsed out.' Strict abortion bans could turn a common medical outcome, one that only happens to pregnant women, into a matter for the police. The idea is that you are supposed to call 911 if you have a miscarriage at home so that it can be investigated as a crime. This is America in 2025. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Toxic 'forever chemical' showing up in European food and wine
A team of researchers has found "alarmingly high" levels of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a so-called forever chemical, in dozens of organic and non-organic pastas, baked goods and breakfast cereals from Europe, as well as in wine. "In conventional grain products, the average levels were so high that a health risk to children can no longer be ruled out," said Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, an environmental chemist part of the Brussels-based Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, which describes TFA as a "product of PFAS pesticides and industrial chemicals." Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are thousands of long-lasting substances used in household and everyday products since the middle of the 20th century but which have been found to be difficult to remove from the environment and from human bodies. The latest research points to 'widespread contamination from PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) pesticides," PAN Europe said, warning that TFA tends to build up in water and farmland. The amount of TFA in the food items was found to be three times that recorded in a similar study eight years ago, according to PAN Europe, which in April warned of "dramatic rise" of TFA in wine. In a report covering wines from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain, PAN Europe found that while pre-1988 vintages do not contain any such contamination, there has been a "sharp increase" in pesticide and chemical residues in wine bottled since 2010. Such a "steep accumulation" should be "a red flag that calls for decisive action," according to Michael Müller, a professor of pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry at the University of Freiburg. The European Chemicals Agency has warned that TFA "may cause harm to the unborn child" and "may impair fertility."
