EPA ON Wednesday says that it will change the principle aimed at protecting Americans against faith in drinking chemicals. The agency plans to extend the term of compliance to limit two key chemicals and to cancel and re -consider the provisions for four others.
Last year, the Biden administration published long -awaited rules of rules forever chemicals in municipal drinking water systems. This principle required not only low levels for the two most -examined chemicals forever, PFOA and PFO, but for four other chemicals associated with various health activities.
In addition to the removal of these four other chemicals, Trump Epa now says that he will give drinking water systems by 2031 to get rid of PFOA and PFOS in delivery – two years after the original date of 2029.
“EPA has one mission: protection of human health and the environment,” says Kyla Bennett, director of scientific policy at non -profit of public employees for environmental responsibility. “It flies in the face of their mission and everything they should be.”
“We are on the road to maintaining the national standards of the agency to protect Americans from PFOA and PFOS in their water,” said EPA LEE ZELDIN WA press release. “At the same time, we will work on ensuring health flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance. This will support water systems throughout the country, including small systems in rural communities, because they work on these pollution.”
Per- and polyphluoralkilic substances, also known as PFA or Forever Chemicals, are the class of thousands of chemicals used in various industries and consumer products, from pan to raincoat to raincoats to fire foam, to waterproof furniture protection. EPA connected PFA with A wide range of health problems In people, such as cancer, hormonal imbalance, reduced fertility, developmental delays in children and a reduced response to the vaccine.
As the name suggests, these chemicals can last thousands of years in the environment and can accumulate to very high concentrations. Studies have shown that almost all Americans have PFA traces in the bloodwhile EPA data published at the beginning of this year show this Half of the US population It is exposed to PFA in drinking water.
Since then, studies have shown that these substitutes can also accumulate in the environment and be harmful to human health. EPA has excellent that the dimer acid of sixthopropylene oxide and its ammonium salt seems to remain in the environment, if PFOA and PFOS. Chemical giant chemores began to produce a chemical class, called Genx, using hexakfluoropropylene dimer acid oxide, in 2009claiming that chemicals can be used as “Sustainable replacement“In the case of PFOA. Animal research indicates that oral exposure to Genx chemicals can have an adverse effect on the liver, kidneys and reproductive systems. Biden rule set Permissible Genx limits in drinking water at only 10 parts per trillion (PPT). IN performed water tests on one water utility in North Carolina in 2016, nearby ChemoursChemical levels were averaged at 631 ppt, and some samples are tested by up to 4,500 ppt.