US authorities announced Tuesday the upcoming setting of standards to limit levels of chemicals called “eternal pollutants” in tap water, a national first.
Perfluoroalkyls and polyfluoroalkyls (PFASs) can cause serious health problems, including cancer, if exposed for a long period of time, as they then accumulate in the body. Their common point is to disintegrate extremely slowly, earning them the nickname “eternal pollutants”.
New rules proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will set limits for six types of PFAS. Water utilities will be required to monitor for these chemicals and “warn the public and reduce PFAS contamination if levels exceed proposed standards,” according to an EPA statement.
This measure could prevent tens of thousands of cases of PFAS-related illnesses and thousands of deaths, according to the agency.
“Invasive and Resistant” Chemicals
These chemical compounds have been used for decades in many everyday products (food packaging, cleaning products, paints, varnishes or coatings, certain textiles, etc.). But “what began as a so-called miracle, a technological breakthrough intended for practicality, quickly became one of the most pressing environmental and public health problems in the modern world,” Michael Regan said during an interview at a news conference. EPA chief.
“These chemicals are so ubiquitous and robust in the environment that they have been found in food, soil and water even in the most remote places on earth,” he said.
Several large companies have begun to reduce their use of PFAS in recent years, and some US states have already imposed drinking water limits. The new national standards will be finalized by the end of the year.
The EU is also working on restrictions
It will then be a “historic breakthrough”, greeted the organization Environmental Working Group. “More than 200 million Americans may have PFAS in their tap water,” said Scott Faber, an official with the organization. “Americans have been drinking contaminated water for decades.”
The EPA is also working to designate two types of PFAS as “hazardous substances” and plans to monitor thousands of public water systems across the country for dozens of PFAS starting this year.
The European Union is also working on restrictions on these perennial pollutants.
Source: BFM TV
