Filtering out PFAS is only the first step. These ‘forever chemicals’ still have to be destroyed, and there are many questions about how to do that safely.
Scientists test drinking water for PFAS at an EPA lab in Cincinnati.
AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel
These chemicals are now found on almost every part of the planet, including in the bodies of a large percentage of the American public. An environmental health scientist explains the risks.
How long do chemicals really need to last?
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The Biden administration is finalizing the first federal limits on two compounds, PFOA and PFOS, in drinking water. These so-called ‘forever chemicals’ have been linked to numerous health effects.
How long do we really need chemicals to last?
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These chemicals are now present in water, soil and living organisms and can be found across almost every part of the planet – including 98% of the American public.
Firefighting foam left after a fire in Pennsylvania. These foams often contain PFAS chemicals that can contaminate water supplies.
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PFAS chemicals are toxic, widespread and persistent in the environment, and the federal government has been slow to regulate them. A scientist explains why evaluating them one by one isn’t working.
Mark Ruffalo as Robert Bilott, the ‘lawyer who became DuPont’s worst nightmare’.
Focus Features
Professor in Government and Public Policy, University of Strathclyde, and Adjunct Professor in the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town, University of Strathclyde