DeepSummary
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently begun regulating a class of synthetic chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), often called 'forever chemicals,' in America's drinking water for the first time. These chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other health problems, have been used for decades in various consumer products like makeup, carpet, nonstick cookware, and food packaging due to their water-repellent and stain-resistant properties.
DuPont and 3M, the major companies producing PFAS, had internal studies from as early as the 1960s showing potential health risks to animals and workers exposed to high levels of PFAS. However, they did not disclose this information or address the issue until a class-action lawsuit in the late 1990s forced DuPont to release its internal documents. A subsequent large-scale study confirmed a 'probable link' between PFAS exposure and several health conditions.
While the EPA's new regulation targets six specific PFAS chemicals in drinking water, experts argue that it may not effectively reduce overall PFAS exposure, as drinking water accounts for only about 20% of total exposure. Additionally, there are over 10,000 different PFAS compounds, and the regulation does not cover the vast majority of them due to a lack of research on their potential harms.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The EPA has begun regulating certain PFAS ('forever') chemicals in drinking water due to their links to health issues like liver disease.
- Major PFAS producers like DuPont and 3M had internal evidence of potential harms but did not disclose risks until forced by a lawsuit.
- The EPA's regulation targets only 6 specific PFAS compounds in drinking water, which accounts for about 20% of total exposure.
- There are over 10,000 different PFAS compounds, and most are not covered by the regulation due to lack of research on their potential harms.
- Individuals face difficulties in limiting their PFAS exposure due to the ubiquity of these chemicals in consumer products and the environment.
- The PFAS problem is constantly evolving, with new compounds being introduced, further complicating regulation and mitigation efforts.
- The regulation places the burden on municipalities to test for and filter out the targeted PFAS compounds, which can be costly and may not address the full scope of the issue.
- There is debate over whether more stringent upfront regulations or outright bans, like those being considered in the EU, would be more effective in addressing the PFAS problem.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “They're in makeup, they're in carpet, they're in nonstick cookware. They're in food packaging, all sorts of things.“ by Kim Tingley
- “In one study, they gave monkeys really, really high levels of pfas, and those monkeys died.“ by Kim Tingley
- “As far as we know, they didn't do much. They certainly didn't tell the residents of Parkersburg who were drinking that water that there was anything that they needed to be worried about.“ by Kim Tingley
- “I think it's really tricky to try to know kind of what you do with all of this information as an individual.“ by Kim Tingley
- “There's just new ones coming out all the time.“ by Kim Tingley
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Episode Information
The Daily
The New York Times
4/17/24
The Environmental Protection Agency has begun for the first time to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals known as “forever chemicals” in America’s drinking water.
Kim Tingley, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains how these chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, came to be in the water supply — and in many more places.
Guest: Kim Tingley, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.
Background reading:
- “Forever chemicals” are everywhere. What are they doing to us?
- The E.P.A. issued its rule about “forever chemicals” last week.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.