Why EPA’s long-awaited proposal on two ‘forever chemicals’ is bound to be controversial
By the end of this year, the Environmental Protection Agency has promised to propose new national drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, two of the most studied pollutants among the thousands of compounds known as PFAS, or, more colloquially, “forever chemicals.”
PFAS are man-made chemicals associated with nonstick pans and firefighting foams, but they are also used in things like cosmetics, paper straws and takeout containers, and waterproof fabrics. The same properties that make them useful for these applications also make them incredibly resistant to degradation, which means they pile up in the environment and in people’s bodies, vastly increasing the risk of cancers, birth defects, decreased immunity, and many more health problems.
