Feds move to rid cancer- & heart attack-causing chems from drinking water

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday moved to limit harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water for the first time, in a bid to reduce exposure for up to 100 million Americans.

The chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are documented causes of cancer, heart attacks and low birthweight, among many other ills. They don’t degrade on their own and are expensive to remove.

“The science is clear that long-term exposure to PFAS is linked to significant health risks,” Radhika Fox, assistant EPA administrator for water, told The

Associated Press.

The EPA proposes limiting two common types of PFAS — perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) — at 4 parts per trillion, which is the lowest measurable level. The agency would also regulate the combined amount for four other types of PFAS, and direct water providers to monitor for the compounds.

“This is a really historic moment,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, which has authored studies on the chemicals’ contamination. “There are many communities that have had PFAS in their water for decades who have been waiting for a long time for this announcement to come out.”

PFAS can cause everything from low birthweight to kidney cancer. They have been in widespread use throughout manufacturing since the 1940s and can be found in products such as nonstick pans, grease-resistant pizza boxes, food packaging and firefighting foam.

While they are being phased out, the chemicals don’t degrade, which means they build up in the environment and in people’s bodies. They have been detected in municipal drinking water nationwide and have shown up in freshwater fish as well.

Fox called the changes “transformational,” while the American Chemistry Council called the EPA’s approach “misguided” and warned it would “likely result in billions of dollars in compliance costs,” some of which might fall to local utility companies rather than the manufacturers that caused the contamination.

“The proposals have important implications for broader drinking water policy priorities and resources, so it’s critical that EPA gets the science right,” said the group, which represents large chemical companies, in a statement.

The EPA is accepting public comment on the proposed ruling and could make changes before issuing a final rule by the end of this year.

Some 99 million years ago, a little, hairy snail got trapped in tree sap, which hardened into amber. Now, the critter that ran with the dinosaurs will go on display at a museum in France, where its descendants are eaten as a delicacy. Food for thought.