U.S. EPA plans to drop limits on some "forever chemicals" in drinking water


By Xia Lin

NEW YORK, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some so-called forever chemicals in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones.

The Joe Biden administration set the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, finding they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight. Those limits on PFAS, which are man-made and don't easily break down in nature, were expected to reduce their levels in drinking water for millions of people.

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