The first national drinking water regulation for "forever chemicals" that are harmful to human health has been suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday.
According to CNN Health, nearly every American citizen who drinks water could be significantly impacted by the radical decision.
The Restriction Prevents The Consumption Of Cancer-Causing Chemicals
The new regulation aims to establish drinking water limits for six PFAS, or "forever chemicals," also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds.
A class of pervasive synthetic compounds known as PFAS persists in both the environment and the body, where it can harm people's health.
They are present in many everyday things, such as dental floss and nonstick Teflon pans, and they can remain in water and soil for a very long time.
Moreover, exposure to PFAS has been related to a wide range of health disorders, such as cancer, liver damage, asthma, and problems with children's development.
Despite the fact that there are thousands of PFAS chemicals, according to the National Institutes of Health, the rule requires water utilities to keep an eye out for six specific chemicals.
It also seeks to inform the public when PFAS levels exceed the permitted limit, and take steps to minimize them, Engadget writes.
According to the plan, water utilities would be required to detect perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) at a level of four parts per trillion.
The FDA had previously advised that the amount of PFAS chemicals in water should not exceed 70 parts per trillion during the Obama administration.
According to the EPA, the new regulations will stop "thousands" of PFAS poisoning-related deaths and "tens of thousands" of illnesses.
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The Proposal Is An Update From the Safe Drinking Water Act
The greatest available research underpins EPA's proposal to create a national standard for PFAS in drinking water, which would provide states the direction they need to take actions that will best safeguard their communities.
"This action has the potential to prevent tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses and marks a major step toward safeguarding all our communities from these dangerous contaminants," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.
The proposal would update the Safe Drinking Water Act for the first time since 1996 by introducing new chemical standards, CNN Health notes.
The EPA recommended PFAS concentrations in drinking water be kept to no more than 70 ppt in its health advisories in 2016, but the proposed regulations would be substantially stricter.
The EPA released health recommendations in June that stated the chemicals are significantly more toxic to human health than experts had previously anticipated and are possibly even more so at levels that are thousands of times lower.
As soon as he assumed office in 2021, EPA Commissioner Regan established the EPA Council on PFAS.
Following a period of public comment, the EPA will review those comments and issue a final decision on the rule, which is anticipated to be made later this year.
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