How clean is clean?

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MARY REICHARD, HOST: Up next, limiting so-called “forever chemicals”.

Called P-F-A-S or PFAS, they’re found just about everywhere, from household items to food and water.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Since the 1950s, PFAS have been used in manufacturing. They make products stain-resistant or nonstick, among other uses, and they get into the environment through waste. During the manufacturing process, factories often release PFAS into nearby lakes and rivers.

Over the years, the federal government has taken more steps to monitor and regulate these chemicals.

WORLD’s Emma Eicher has our report.

EMMA EICHER: In 2024, the Biden Administration rolled out legal standards for PFAS in drinking water. It was the first time that the Environmental Protection Agency set a national limit.

Then, this May, the Trump Administration re-examined the regulations.

JEAN ZHUANG: What they've said is their reason is that the last administration didn't follow the proper procedure.

That’s Jean Zhuang, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. 

In the May 18th announcement, the EPA stated the Biden era regulation may have cut corners with rushed research, resulting in regulations that were expensive to implement.

Zhuang says manufacturers have a vested interest in lowering these PFAS limits.

ZHUANG: Industry doesn't want these drinking water standards to be around, they're the ones that challenge these standards, and it's because the more that the public is paying attention to the harmful effects of these chemicals in their drinking water, the more pressure these industries are going to feel to do something about their own pollution.

The EPA will distribute $1 billion to states for more research into the toxicity of the chemicals, with more grant money to come over the next five years. The Agency says it expects near regulations to survive legal challenges, and be implemented nationwide.

David Legates is Director of Research and Education at the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation.

DAVID LEGATES: PFAS, or forever chemicals, are chemicals that, as the name implies, never go away. And that's been one of the issues, is what kind of impact do they have on humans?

He says that balance is needed as research on the effects of the chemicals continues.

LEGATES: The problem is, we don't really know the risk.

There may be a small threshold where forever chemicals don’t negatively affect humans. But without more research:

LEGATES: Nobody really knows whether that threshold exists or where it might actually be.

Still, existing data does show a negative effect on humans from large amounts of PFAS, especially in clothing, food, and water.

For example, Teflon is a synthetic chemical that can withstand high heat—and prevents materials from sticking to it. For more than 90 years it’s been used in plumbing, manufacturing, textiles, and cookware. 

But Teflon is highly toxic, and because of its strong chemical bonds, it never breaks down in the environment.

LEGATES: And so you're literally cooking with something that can get into the food system, which you're then going to ingest, which gets into your body directly.

The same potential for long term damage happens when chemicals get into drinking water. Here’s Zhuang again:

ZHUANG: They cause harm to our thyroid, liver, kidney. They can increase the risk of various cancers and cause significant harm to you know, fetuses … and to young children as well.

In April, the clothing brand Lululemon came under investigation for potentially having “forever chemicals” in their activewear. From CBS:

CBS MORNINGS: In a statement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office is reviewing whether the company misled customers about the health impacts of its products, saying, “emerging research and consumer concerns has raised questions about the potential presence of PFAS in their clothing.”

Lululemon responded, claiming they phased out PFAS three years ago.

The investigation comes as people are becoming more aware of toxic chemicals in clothing. Experts say that synthetic fibers easily leach into the skin, especially with sweaty exercise. One study found that the presence of polyester in underwear led to decreased fertility in men, though the study was small and has not been repeated.

Legates suggests more research is needed to find the limit for when PFAS can exist without issues in the environment, and then meaningful guidelines can be followed.

LEGATES: Is there a threshold at which you could tolerate them? Do you actually start to build an immunity to them, so they would have no impact whatsoever on you? That's the question that nobody's done the research on.

For now, the EPA will accept public comments on limiting PFAS in drinking water until July 20th. And they have suggested that later regulations could be “more stringent” than Biden-era limits, depending on available research.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Emma Eicher.

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