What To Know About The New EPA Rule Limiting 'Forever Chemicals' In Tap Water

Short Wave

NPR

Daily News, Nature, Life Sciences, Astronomy, Science, News

4.7 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 12 April 2024

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency announced new drinking water standards to limit people's exposure to some PFAS chemicals. For decades, PFAS have been used to waterproof and stain-proof a variety of consumer products. These "forever chemicals" in a host of products — everything from raincoats and the Teflon of nonstick pans to makeup to furniture and firefighting foam. Because PFAS take a very long time to break down, they can accumulate in humans and the environment. Now, a growing body of research is linking them to human health problems like serious illness, some cancers, lower fertility and liver damage. Science correspondent Pien Huang joins the show today to talk through this new EPA rule — what the threshold for safe levels of PFAS in tap water is, why the rule is happening now and how the federal standards will be implemented.

Read more of Pien's reporting on the EPA's first ever rule on PFAS in drinking water.

Want to hear more about health and human safety? Email us at [email protected] — we might cover your question on a future episode!

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	On the it's been a minute podcast we discuss a new documentary making waves as it looks at the patterns of abuse behind the scenes at Nickelodeon.
0:08.0	But my guests say the problem extend throughout all of Hollywood.
0:12.0	In Hollywood actor comes before child.
0:14.6	We don't see these kids as real children.
0:18.8	Find out what makes child stars especially vulnerable
0:21.8	on the It's Been a minute podcast from NPR.
0:24.0	You're listening to shortwave from NPR.
0:28.0	Hey Shortwavers, Regina Barbara here with science correspondent
0:32.0	Ping Wong and she's been reporting about a new rule that affects our drinking water.
0:37.0	Hey Gina, yeah, so this new final rule from the Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday,
0:44.0	it puts a limit on the amount of certain chemicals in our drinking water that are called
0:48.0	P-FAS.
0:49.0	Okay, I've heard of these. They're also called Forever Chemicals,
0:52.0	but I have to admit I really don't know what they are.
0:55.0	It's understandable.
0:56.0	PFAS stands for purr floral alkyl and polyfluoral alkyl substances.
1:01.0	Okay, those words are not familiar to me.
1:04.0	Yeah, it's a bit of a mouthful, but the thing about these chemicals is that they don't exist in nature.
1:09.0	They're human-made and they have a super strong carbon-floringine bond that's what they have in common.
1:14.6	They're used for making materials that shed water or are resistant to grease for example.
1:19.2	Like my beloved non-stick pans, but if the EPA is limiting these chemicals there's got to be a
1:24.2	downside to them right? Yeah there is so P-FAS as you alluded to are called
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.