Research & Developments is a blog for brief updates that provide context for the flurry of news regarding law and policy changes that impact science and scientists today.
The EPA plans to reconsider drinking water limits for four different PFAS chemicals and extend deadlines for public water systems to comply, according to The Washington Post.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that are widely used for their water- and stain-resistant properties. Exposure to PFAS is linked to higher risks of certain cancers, reproductive health issues, developmental delays and immune system problems. The so-called “forever chemicals” are ubiquitous in the environment and widely contaminate drinking water.
A rule implemented last year by President Joe Biden set drinking water limits for five common PFAS chemicals: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX. Limits for PFOA and PFOS were set at 4 parts per trillion, and limits for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX were set at 10 parts per trillion. The rule also set limits for mixtures of these chemicals and a sixth, PFBS.
Documents reviewed by The Washington Post show that the EPA plans to rescind and reconsider the limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and PFBS. Though the documents did not indicate a plan to reconsider limits for PFOA and PFOS, the agency does plan to extend the compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS limits from 2029 to 2031.
In the documents, Lee Zeldin, the agency’s administrator, said the plan will “protect Americans from PFOA and PFOS in their drinking water” and provide “common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance.”
PFOA is a known carcinogen and PFOS is classified as a possible carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute.
The EPA plan comes after multiple lawsuits against the EPA in which trade associations representing water utilities challenged the science behind Biden’s drinking water standard.
Experts expressed concern that rescinding and reconsidering limits for the four chemicals may not be legal because the Safe Drinking Water Act requires each revision to EPA drinking water standards to be at least as strict as the former regulation.
“The law is very clear that the EPA can’t repeal or weaken the drinking water standard. Any effort to do so will clearly violate what Congress has required for decades,” Erik Olson, the senior strategic director for health at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group, told The Washington Post.
—Grace van Deelen (@gvd.bsky.social), Staff Writer
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