{"id":558923,"date":"2023-03-03T06:16:10","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T03:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/toxic-forever-chemicals-about-to-get-their-first-us-limits\/"},"modified":"2023-03-03T06:16:10","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T03:16:10","slug":"toxic-forever-chemicals-about-to-get-their-first-us-limits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-forever-chemicals-about-to-get-their-first-us-limits\/","title":{"rendered":"#Toxic &#8216;forever chemicals\u2019 about to get their first US limits"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a302d3ecc00d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a302d3ecc00d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/toxic-forever-chemicals-about-to-get-their-first-us-limits\/#Toxic_%E2%80%98forever_chemicals_about_to_get_their_first_US_limits\" >Toxic &#8216;forever chemicals\u2019 about to get their first US limits<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Toxic_%E2%80%98forever_chemicals_about_to_get_their_first_US_limits\"><\/span>Toxic &#8216;forever chemicals\u2019 about to get their first US limits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose restrictions on harmful \u201cforever chemicals\u201d in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable. But experts say removing them will cost billions, a burden that will fall hardest on small communities with few resources.<\/p>\n<p>Concerned about the chemicals&#8217; ability to weaken children&#8217;s immune systems, the EPA said last year that PFAS <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/science-climate-and-environment-government-politics-1997041096d6fc84edde97cf16f72bce\" data-ylk=\"slk:could cause harm;cpos:1;pos:1\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">could cause harm<\/a> at levels \u201cmuch lower than previously understood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We as a community of scientists and policymakers and regulators really missed the boat early on,\u201d said Susan Pinney, director of the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati.<\/p>\n<p>There is also evidence the compounds are linked to low birthweight, kidney cancer and a slew of other health issues. It\u2019s unclear what the EPA will now propose and how well it will protect people from these recently-understood harms.<\/p>\n<p>The compounds PFOA and PFOS are part of a larger family of chemicals called PFAS, for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, that are widespread, don\u2019t degrade in the environment and have been around for decades. They\u2019ve been used in nonstick pans, food packaging and firefighting foam. Their use is now mostly phased out in the U.S., but some still remain.<\/p>\n<p>Water providers are preparing for tough standards and testing that will undoubtedly reveal PFOA and PFOS in communities that don\u2019t yet know the chemicals are in their water. The deadline for the proposal is Friday, but first it must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget. As of Thursday, that review wasn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis rule would help ensure that communities are not being poisoned,\u201d said Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, senior attorney, toxic exposure and health at Earthjustice.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last decade, an increasing number of cities and towns, often abutting manufacturing plants <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/environment-and-nature-e8ff4a597c0a93e2e47e8c1339401335\" data-ylk=\"slk:or Air Force bases;cpos:2;pos:1\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">or Air Force bases<\/a>, suddenly realized they had a problem. In 2016, for example, Sarah McKinney was on maternity leave when she got word there was too much PFOA and PFOS in the tap water in her Colorado Springs suburb. She picked up her weeks-old daughter and hustled out to buy enough bottled water for her family of five.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019m just spitting it out, can I brush my teeth?\u201d she remembers wondering.<\/p>\n<p>In response to concerns from people who had been drinking the water for years, McKinney\u2019s water utility switched to a different source, provided water bottle filling stations and installed a $2.5 million treatment system that was the first of its kind in the country, according to Lucas Hale, the water district manager. The chemicals had gottem into the water from nearby Peterson Air Force base, which then builta treatment facility.<\/p>\n<p>For communities with the pollutants, it&#8217;s not a cheap problem to solve.<\/p>\n<p>Nationally, it could cost roughly $38 billion to remove enough of the chemicals to meet a strict EPA rule limiting them to where they can\u2019t be detected, according to an estimate prepared by engineering consultant Black &amp; Veatch for the American Water Works Association, an industry group. There also will be ongoing costs for filter material and testing.<\/p>\n<p>The consultant looked at federal and state test results and estimated that 4% to 12% of water providers nationally will need to treat for PFAS due to the EPA rule.<\/p>\n<p>Smaller, poorer communities will have a harder time affording the new systems and training staff on how to use them, experts said. And in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>, smaller water providers with fewer resources <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:3;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/health-business-west-virginia-dementia-6770a6191b89b064bd77227e1b18639d\" data-ylk=\"slk:already violate water quality;cpos:3;pos:1\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">already violate water quality<\/a> rules more often than utilities that serve large cities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSmall systems often need technologies that are more simple to operate,\u201d said Jonathan Pressman, engineer and EPA water researcher. The agency offers technical assistance to states and communities and it recently made $2 billion available to states for contaminants like PFAS.<\/p>\n<p>Inside the EPA\u2019s research facility in Cincinnati, a row of vertical, forearm-sized glass tubes were partially filled with a resin material that can remove PFAS. The work ensures the agency knows how long it will last and how much PFAS it removes. That&#8217;s important for designing treatment systems.<\/p>\n<p>Last year the agency lowered its conservative, voluntary health thresholds to levels that tests can\u2019t even detect \u2013 a fraction of a part per trillion. In 2016, it was 70 ppt. Before that, it was even higher. As the EPA recognizes the increased danger of these compounds, it will mean people who were once told their water was safe to drink will find out it actually requires treatment.<\/p>\n<p>When people feel misled about the safety of their tap water, they <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:4;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/environment-and-nature-michigan-water-quality-flint-b843f813feea5eddd43d10181204b054\" data-ylk=\"slk:are less likely to drink it;cpos:4;pos:1\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">are less likely to drink it<\/a>. Instead, they tend to reach for expensive bottled water and consume sugary drinks more often, choices associated with health problems like diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We do have challenges in this community with trust,\u201d said Abel Moreno, the district manager of the South Adams County Water &amp; Sewer District that serves Commerce City, an industrial stretch of Denver. Contaminants leaked from a nearby chemical manufacturing plant decades ago. Although the district built a facility to treat the contamination, it sparked long-simmering distrust in the predominantly Latino neighborhood, and questions about how long people had been exposed.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Betty Rivas was startled by a letter telling her that the drinking fountains her 8-year-old used at school weren&#8217;t safe. PFAS stories had been in the local <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> and the school district told families to use bottled water. It reinforced Rivas\u2019s fears.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith this recent PFAS issue, it\u2019s one more reason to be certain that you shouldn\u2019t drink the water in Commerce City,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Moreno responded that the district tested for PFAS long before the news reports, in 2018. It discovered extremely high levels in certain wells, but once the water went through the treatment plant, it didn&#8217;t surpass the EPA health advisory threshold in place at the time. Moreno&#8217;s agency closed the wells. He said the letter Rivas received was frustrating because PFAS hadn&#8217;t spiked \u2014 it had just made the news. Now, the district purchases and mixes in water from Denver to keep PFAS at undetectable levels and plans to build a treatment plant for a permanent fix.<\/p>\n<p>Across the U.S., so far only local utilities and state regulators have imposed changes, not the federal government. Michigan <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:5;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/d66e1002c57007718145aa4842e936a7\" data-ylk=\"slk:set a drinking water limit;cpos:5;pos:1\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">set a drinking water limit<\/a> and paid for testing. Those tests helped quickly find and fix some places with contamination and Michigan officials have said since then its limits haven&#8217;t proved too expensive.<\/p>\n<p>New standards, however, will force tradeoffs, according to Chad Seidel, president of a water consultant company.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cResources going towards addressing this are in some ways coming at a cost\u201d of other needs, like removing dangerous lead pipes and replacing aged water mains, he said.<\/p>\n<p>Kalmuss-Katz of Earthjustice said too many people are drinking contaminated water. Cost can&#8217;t be a barrier.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe solution is to do whatever you have to do to ensure that people are not getting sick,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>___<\/p>\n<p>Phillis reported from St. Louis.<\/p>\n<p>___<\/p>\n<p>The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP\u2019s environmental coverage, visit <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-i13n=\"cpos:6;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/climate-and-environment\" data-ylk=\"slk:https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/climate-and-environment;cpos:6;pos:1\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/climate-and-environment<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/communities-await-first-us-limits-031610245.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Toxic &#8216;forever chemicals\u2019 about to get their first US limits The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose restrictions on harmful \u201cforever chemicals\u201d in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable. But experts say removing them will cost billions, a burden that will fall hardest on small&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":558924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/yOYLM32bzuUbtl4Lhw5UlA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD04MDI-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/ap.org\/0fe3d9a3cb6f6cb29725b72ffe95180c","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-558923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=558923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558923\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=558923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=558923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=558923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}