PFAS are chemicals that have contaminated the water that millions of people could be drinkingfor which President Joe Biden’s government seeks to reduce its effects with an investment of $9 billion to improve supply facilities.
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first legally enforceable national drinking water standard for PFAS, a rule that would reach about 100 million people.
PFAS are short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which can be present in water, soil, air, and food.
According to the EPA, These substances are also found in public and private drinking water systems.so constant monitoring must be done to try to eradicate them.
Its effect on health is slow, but it can contribute to chronic diseases, including kidney problems, high cholesterol levels, affect the immune system, some types of cancer and even affect a baby’s birth weight.
The Biden Administration announced the investment of $1 billion through the Investing in America agenda to help all states and territories fund PFAS detection and treatment systems to meet the new EPA standard.
“Additional financing of $12 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act Supports Broad Drinking Water Investmentsincluding the treatment of PFAS,” indicates the White House in a document. “The investments are part of the Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities.”
Some examples of contaminated water
As an example of communities that will receive help, the Biden Administration mentions Oakdale, outside St. Paul, Minnesota, where a chemical plant has dumped waste containing PFAS in an area that has contaminated water.
“In this area it was discovered that cancer was a much more likely cause of death in children than in neighboring areas,” the report indicates as one of the consequences of the contamination.
Also included is a $33 million grant to Tucson, Arizona, to treat its contaminated drinking water wells.
The new EPA rule establishes health safeguards and will require public water systems to monitor and reduce PFAS levels and report applicable testing.
“The rule sets limits in drinking water for five individual PFAS, including the most commonly found PFOA and PFOS,” the government said. “Because PFAS can often be found together in mixtures, the EPA is also setting a limit for any combination of four PFAS, including GenX chemicals.”
GenX chemicals, EPA explains, with hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) dimer acid and its ammonium salt.
A comprehensive effort
The financial resources are obtained from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which contemplates investments of more than $50,000 million in water infrastructure.
“This includes a historic $15 billion to replace toxic lead pipes and protect children from brain damage,” the report states.