EPA announces proposed drinking water limits for six ‘forever chemicals’

The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time on Tuesday proposed enforceable regulations for “forever chemicals,” also called PFAS, in Americans’ drinking water. The six PFAS are the first new contaminants to be regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act’s 1996 amendments.

The EPA set a threshold of 4 nanograms per liter for the chemicals PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. It also made a surprise announcement of regulations for four more PFAS together as a mixture: PFNA, GenX chemicals, PFHxS, and PFBS.

These are six of over 12,000 known “forever chemicals.” The compounds are used in products such as waterproof workout gear, burger wrappers, and cosmetics, as well as firefighting foams and the process of making nonstick coatings for pans. They have been linked to several cancers and diseases, including kidney and liver disease, Crohn’s disease, and thyroid cancer, as well as other effects like low birth rates and decreased response to vaccines.