Biden today announced a crackdown on permanent chemicals in American drinking water that will force utilities and local governments to remove toxins from tap supplies.
More than 70 million Americans live in homes with water contaminated by these substances, and the government estimates that half of the country’s water sources contain high levels of them.
Activists have been calling for the substances to be removed from water because a growing body of research links them to cancer, infertility and a host of other health conditions, including autism.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued mandates this week that would require six substances from the group known as PFAS chemicals to drop to near-zero levels in tap water.
They have been hailed as “life-changing” and “landmark” and are now the first national regulations governing these types of chemicals.
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The Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization focused on environmental contaminants, mapped communities and military sites confirmed to have PFAS contamination.
PFAS are microscopic substances that take thousands of years to break down in the environment or the human body, earning them the name “forever chemicals.”
Its main purpose is to repel water and oil, which is what makes nonstick cookware easier to clean and why certain jackets and tents can withstand rain.
Chemicals can leach into the water supply when washing dishes and can get into food if the packaging is made to be grease-resistant or if the nonstick coating on pots and pans begins to deteriorate.
PFAS are also common in pesticides used to feed crops, producing chemical-rich runoff that can enter the drinking water supply. There is no safe level of exposure to chemicals.
A 2023 EPA report found that 45 percent of drinking water sources contained at least one PFAS, with the highest concentrations in the Great Plains, Great Lakes, the East Coast, and central and southern California.
Testing was limited to 32 types of PFAS out of more than 12,000, meaning thousands of these chemicals could have gone undetected.
If that’s the case, it may indicate that the problem is even bigger than the study conveys.
Environmental Working Group (EWG) data from 2020 ranked Brunswick County, North Carolina, as the top U.S. region for PFAS in drinking water.
The cities depicted on the map are just a few of many that have been identified as having higher concentrations of PFAS in public water supplies and private wells.
Most of the pollution was concentrated in densely populated urban areas, which the researchers concluded was due to the rise of industry and a greater number of waste sites in general, including manufacturing plants and landfills, which are known to generate PFAS.
A previous analysis by DailyMail.com found that cities with the highest levels of forever toxic chemicals in tap water also had higher-than-average rates of illnesses and pregnancy complications.
Most neighborhoods with the highest levels of PFAS chemicals in drinking water experience more cancer diagnoses and deaths than the rest of the country each year and see more babies born at dangerously low birth weights.
The average annual rate of new cancer diagnoses in the United States each year is about 439 cases per 100,000 people, but seven of the top 10 counties for PFAS contamination saw their rates exceed the national benchmark.
Cancer deaths were also higher in seven of the hardest-hit neighborhoods, while six of the areas had low birthweight rates higher than the national average.
The analysis examined the 10 cities and counties identified in an Environmental Working Group report as having the highest level of PFAS in drinking water.
They were: Brunswick County, North Carolina; Quad Cities, Iowa; Miami Florida.; Bergen County, New Jersey; Wilmington, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Charleston, South Carolina; and Decatur, AL.
A number of studies have found associations between PFAS and high cholesterol, liver damage, low birth rate, childhood obesity, hormonal disruption, thyroid problems, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk of cancer, and harm to reproductive health. and fertility.
EPA rules will now require public water utilities to test for six different types of PFAS.
To help municipalities reach the near-zero goal, the agency will provide $1 billion to states to implement water testing and treatment in public water systems.
In a statement announcing its ruling, the EPA said the measure could prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said, “PFAS-contaminated drinking water has plagued communities across this country for far too long.”
He added: ‘Our strategic roadmap on PFAS marshals all of EPA’s authority and resources to protect people from these harmful chemicals forever. Today, I am proud to finalize this critical piece of our Roadmap and, in doing so, save thousands of lives and help ensure our children grow up healthier.”