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EPA Seeks to Eliminate Critical PFAS Drinking Water Protections

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will no longer defend rules that protect people from unsafe levels of PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water, seeking to reverse legal protections put into place last year. In its motion filed in federal court yesterday, EPA asked the court to axe its determinations to regulate and enforceable standards for four PFAS chemicals – GenX, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFBS. Separately, EPA previously announced that it will seek to extend the compli

Toxic "forever chemicals" found in 95% of beers tested in the U.S.

Infamous for their environmental persistence and potential links to health conditions, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals, are being discovered in unexpected places, including beer. Researchers publishing in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology tested beers brewed in different areas around the U.S. for these substances. They found that beers produced in parts of the country with known PFAS-contaminated water sources showed the highest levels of forever

Computer chips, with a side of forever chemicals

is a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home , a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things at the intersection of environment and technology, follow Justine Ca

It’s Possible to Remove the Forever Chemicals in Drinking Water. Will It Happen?

A new study finds that technologies installed to remove forever chemicals from drinking water are also doing double-duty by removing harmful other materials—including some substances that have been linked to certain types of cancer. The study, published Thursday in the journal ACS ES&T Water, comes as the Trump administration is overhauling a rule mandating that water systems take action to clean up forever chemicals in drinking water. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), colloquially r

How to destroy harmful 'forever chemicals'

How to destroy harmful 'forever chemicals' 39 minutes ago Share Save Zoe Corbyn Technology Reporter Reporting from San Francisco Share Save 374Water 374Water can purge PFAS from water and sludge "There's a lot of destruction that needs to be done," sums up Parker Bovée of Cleantech Group, a research and consulting firm. He is referring to PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), also known as "forever chemicals". These man-made chemicals can be found in items such as waterproof c

Almost All Rain Drops Contain the Same Weird Chemical

Since the rise of commercial chemical manufacturing in the 1940s, the environment has been plagued by a growing concentration of man-made substances like microplastics, PCBs, and bisphenols. There's even a new one rising to prominence: the chemical compound trifluoroacetic acid, or TFA. New reporting by Nature detailed the troubling rise of TFA and its inexorable creep into every corner of the natural world. TFA comes mostly from synthetic petrochemicals found in pesticides and landfills, wher