April 10, 2024 – More than 60,000 utilities that provide drinking water to much of the U.S. must make sure the water is freed from six synthetic chemicals that the Environmental Protection Agency now says can result in serious diseases akin to cancer .
Often known as “forever chemicals,” there are literally thousands of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that come from on a regular basis items akin to nonstick cookware, food packaging, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant furniture, and firefighting foam. The chemicals typically contribute to product properties akin to waterproofing and don't break down within the environment, meaning they will remain in groundwater for generations.
Studies have found that PFAS can accumulate within the body over time and are even present in umbilical cord blood, which is passed from mother to fetus within the womb. The substances have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, poor immune system function, developmental problems in children, heart and liver damage, and other health problems.
“EPA expects that the final rule will prevent exposure to PFAS in drinking water for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious PFAS-related illnesses over many years,” the agency said in its latest announcement Regulations that were posted online Wednesday.
The EPA's move got here after years of evaluation and required public comment periods, and the regulation falls inside the agency's purview of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. The drinking water of an estimated 100 million people shall be subject to the brand new requirements, although the EPA said that New rules that might also prompt FDA to contemplate regulating PFAS in bottled water.
Millions of dollars in federal aid is on the market to assist water utilities meet the brand new requirements. Finally, funding and resources can even be made available to deal with PFAS in drinking water in rural areas, akin to private wells, although they aren't subject to those latest regulations.
The latest requirements apply to 6 specific PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA, in addition to mixtures “containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and PFBS.” Drinking water may contain more PFAS than these six limits because in some cases the brand new limits apply even when PFAS occur together with one another.
Advocacy groups called the changes historic and long overdue.
“Because PFAS are toxic in very small amounts, it is difficult to overstate the impact of these new regulations on public health. Removing these PFAS from our drinking water will prevent thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of cases of serious health effects such as cardiovascular disease, bladder cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and reproductive harms such as preeclampsia and low birth weight. “These new limits will save lives,” Melanie Benesh, JD, vice chairman of presidency affairs on the Environmental Working Group, said in a opinion.
It shouldn't be initially mandatory to remove PFAS from drinking water. Over the subsequent three years, utilities must conduct monitoring and supply public details about PFAS levels in drinking water by 2027. As of 2029, utilities will need to have made any mandatory changes, akin to: B. using latest water sources or using removal technologies to satisfy latest PFAS limits.
The EPA predicted Between 6% and 10% of public drinking water utilities (as much as 6,600 utilities) might want to make changes to comply.
Because the brand new limits won't take effect for one more five years and only require reductions, not eliminations, in PFAS levels, EPA offered guidance for individuals who should want to take further steps. First, the EPA recommends that individuals contact their water provider and request details about current PFAS and contaminant levels. The agency also offered one Information sheet for home filtration.
“The standards in this rule aim to reduce PFAS to the lowest levels feasible for effective implementation,” the EPA advised. “If you are concerned about the levels of PFAS in your drinking water, consider installing home water treatment (e.g. filters) that is certified to reduce the levels of PFAS in your water.”