US announces tough tap water standards for 'forever chemicals'

Washington: US President Joe Biden s administration on Wednesday announced the first nationwide tap water standards to protect the public from toxic...

Washington: US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced the first nationwide tap water standards to protect the public from toxic "forever chemicals" linked to serious health harms ranging from cancers to developmental damage in children.

Invisible and present in the water, soil, air and food supply, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) accumulate inside our bodies and never break down in the environment.

A new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule would reduce PFAS exposure in the water supply of some 100 million people, preventing thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of serious illnesses, the agency said.

"This is a huge win for public health in the United States," Melanie Benesh, who works on policy issues for the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, told AFP.

"Getting these chemicals out of drinking water will reduce exposure, will reduce the disease burden, and ultimately will save lives."