PFAS

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Millions May Be Drinking Contaminated Water: US Report

USGS ties risk to private and public wells

(Newser) - The drinking water of one-fourth of the US population could be contaminated by PFAS, a new federal government report says. The warning applies to water drawn from aquifers through private or public wells, the Guardian reports, for a total affected population estimate of about 95 million people. Using sampling and...

EPA Puts Companies on the Hook for PFAS Cleanup

Rule change could cost companies that release toxic substances billions

(Newser) - The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a change that will shift the burden for cleaning up two "forever chemicals" from government to the companies responsible for the pollution. The rule designates the manmade compounds as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, the New York Times reports. The Biden administration'...

EPA Goes After Forever Chemicals in Your Water

Biden administration sets new, enforceable drinking water standards

(Newser) - In what some are calling a "huge breakthrough," the Biden administration on Wednesday laid out the first national standard to limit "forever chemicals" in drinking water. These long-lasting chemicals, found in the blood of nearly every American, help nonstick cookware, outdoor furniture, disposable packaging, and other products...

They Thought Their Drinking Water Was Safe. Now, a Lawsuit

Wisconsin city of Wausau sues PFAS makers, insurance firms over groundwater contamination

(Newser) - A Wisconsin city has filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen manufacturers of so-called forever chemicals, claiming the contaminants have polluted the city's groundwater. The complaint filed Thursday on behalf of Wausau is against 15 makers of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), as well as 61 insurance companies,...

Research Indicates Soft Contact Lenses Could Contain PFAS
US Contact Lenses
May Contain PFAS
May 9, 2023 7:21 PM CDT

US Contact Lenses May Contain PFAS

Soft contacts could come with a hidden cost

(Newser) - PFAS are chemicals used in products such as nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and according to a report cited by the Guardian , some soft contact lenses. Scott Belcher, a researcher at North Carolina State University, tells the paper that after tests of 18 known contact lens brands revealed organic fluorine,...

EPA Makes Big Move on 'Forever Chemicals'

Agency proposes first federal limits on toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water

(Newser) - The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water, a long-awaited protection the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer. The plan would limit toxic PFAS chemicals to the lowest level that tests can...

Alligator Study Finds 'Harbingers of Dangers to Human Health'

High levels of 'forever chemicals' found in Cape Fear River gators

(Newser) - Alligators in the Cape Fear River have "extremely high levels of PFAS compounds and markers of immune disease in their blood," according to a new study by researchers in North Carolina, per the Guardian. The so-called “forever chemicals” appear to have had noticeable health impacts on the...

Discovery Means 'Forever Chemicals' May Get a Death Date
Simple Remedy
Provides Hope on
'Forever Chemicals'
NEW STUDY
Aug 19, 2022 11:29 AM CDT

Simple Remedy Provides Hope on 'Forever Chemicals'

Researchers describe novel method of breaking down PFAS safely and cheaply

(Newser) - Scientists know them as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Everyday folk know them as "forever chemicals." However you refer to them, these chemicals, resistant to liquid and heat and used in everyday products from cosmetics to paint to paper to food packaging , are toxic at certain levels...

8 Stories