PUBLISHED : 15 May 2025 at 09: 15
US President Donald Trump’s administration is weakening the limits on some toxic ‘forever chemicals’ allowed in drinking water, a move critics describe as a step backwards
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday moved to scrap limits on several toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water, reversing what had been hailed as a landmark public health victory.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would retain maximum contaminant levels for just two of the most notorious compounds from the so-called PFAS class of chemicals, while removing limits for four others known to cause harm.
At least 158 million people across the United States have drinking water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which accumulate in the body and have been linked to cancers, birth defects, decreased fertility and behavioral disorders even at very low levels.
The original rules, imposed by then president Joe Biden’s administration in April 2024, were celebrated as a long-overdue response to decades of industry deception and government inaction.
But under the changes announced by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the limits would now apply only to PFOA and PFOS — two legacy chemicals historically used in products such as nonstick Teflon pans, fabric protectors like 3M’s Scotchgard, and firefighting foams — while exempting newer-generation PFAS developed as replacements.
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