EPA backtracks on claim US phased out toxic PFAS

· Health · United States

The US Environmental Protection Agency has quietly backtracked on a claim that the country has phased out two of the most dangerous PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS, The Guardian reported. The agency changed wording on its website as a Texas-based firm continues to manufacture plastic container barriers. The EPA has found that virtually no level of exposure to the chemicals is safe. The reversal is significant because PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," persist in the environment and in human bodies.

Why it matters:PFAS contamination is a global public-health and regulatory issue, and US policy shifts affect chemical markets and cleanup standards.

Key points

  • The EPA changed website wording on PFOA and PFOS.
  • A Texas-based firm still makes plastic container barriers.
  • The agency says virtually no exposure level is safe.

Sources (original reporting)

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