Plumbing

What are the ‘endlessly chemical substances’ that the EPA is limiting?

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The Environmental Protection Agency plans to limit some of the so-called “forever chemicals” in US drinking water.

The chemicals that will be restricted, commonly referred to as PFAS, are named PFOA, PFOS, GenX, PFBS, PFNA and PFHxS. First used in the 1940s, they are all around us, in our clothing, packaging and food, and they are ubiquitous in tap water.

Because they are so widespread, PFAS can enter the environment from multiple sources. Because they break down very slowly, over time concentrations of PFAS can accumulate in people, animals and the environment, and enter the water sources you depend on.

The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators warns that while the new guidelines are a “step in the right direction,” you may have to pay higher water bills to remove the chemicals. Water authorities would also have to notify the public if they found PFAS levels higher than permitted. The federal government is providing $9 billion through the bipartisan Infrastructure Act to help cover costs, particularly in disadvantaged areas of the country.

The EPA says:

We now know that some PFAS can cause serious health problems if you are exposed to them – even in small amounts – over a long period of time. Drinking water is one of several ways people can be exposed to PFAS, and reducing PFAS in drinking water helps reduce the health risks of PFAS. Exposure to PFAS, which the EPA proposes to regulate, can increase the risks of a number of health effects, including:

  • Effects on fertility such as increased high blood pressure in pregnant women
  • Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, bone variations, or behavioral changes
  • Increased risk of some cancers, including kidney and testicular cancer
  • Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infection, including reduced vaccine effectiveness
  • Affecting the body’s natural hormones, including thyroid hormones
  • Elevated cholesterol level
  • liver damage

In announcing the proposed rules, the EPA said, “Over time, if fully implemented, the rule will reduce tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses or deaths.”

The National Resources Defense Council says:

Many of these problems, including kidney cancer and thyroid disease, surfaced in the C8 studies, which monitored the health of approximately 69,000 people in West Virginia who were exposed to certain PFAS in their drinking water. The major adverse effects of some PFAS were known to chemical industry scientists decades ago, but have not been reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency or the public.

For example, the EPA fined manufacturer DuPont millions of dollars because the company had “a number of failures to provide the EPA with information regarding a significant risk of harm to human health or the environment” from the PFAS perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8) Report to. Now, numerous independent studies show that PFAS can be toxic to adults, and especially children, whose developing bodies are more vulnerable. Some PFAS are even known to build up in a child before birth. Alarmingly, PFAS were found in the breast milk, cord blood, or blood of 98 percent of participants in a national health and nutrition survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, note in the C8 report how many conditions were suspected to be linked to the “forever chemicals” but the evidence did not.

Other sources say the link to human cancer is less clear, but there is an established link in lab rats. Poison.org (which originates from the non-profit National Capital Poison Center and is not a government agency) notes:

Due to their persistence in the environment, PFAS chemicals are found in drinking water, dust, air and food. PFAS are also found in the bloodstream of almost every adult living in the United States. Widespread human exposure to PFAS has raised questions about the potential health effects of these chemicals. In studies in rats, PFAS exposure has been associated with cancer. However, the meaning of this is unclear. Rat bodies are not the same as human bodies, and the pathways involved in the growth of cancer cells in rats often differ from those in humans. In addition, the body’s processing of PFAS compounds is different in humans than in some other animals. Because of this, it can be difficult to establish a strong association between PFAS exposure and cancer.

EPA rules specify “maximum contaminant levels” for the chemicals. Ten states (New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, and Vermont) did not wait for the federal government and set their own borders.

The Environmental Working Group says more than 200 million Americans may now have these chemicals in their drinking water. A few years ago, the Environmental Working Group released drinking water data from dozens of cities across the country that showed levels of “forever chemicals” far in excess of what would be allowed under this new regulation:

(working group environment)

The EWG has been tracking this issue for almost two decades with little progress up to this week:

The limits, known as Maximum Contaminant Levels or MCLs, are the highest levels of contamination permitted in drinking water. The announced MCLs are 4 parts per trillion or ppt for PFOA and 4 ppt for PFOS. For the other four PFAS, the agency proposes the use of a “hazard index,” which is a tool used to address cumulative risks from mixtures of chemicals.

The EWG says many of the states that haven’t waited for the federal government have set higher levels than the new federal rules:

New Jersey was the first to set a maximum pollutant limit for the compound PFNA of 13 ppt and has proposed standards of 13 ppt for PFOS and 14 ppt for PFOA.

(working group environment)

The EPA’s proposal is just that. It’s open to public comment before it becomes the norm. Once the proposal is posted to the Federal Register, the public has 60 days to comment. The EPA says it expects to finalize the rule by the end of this year.

The list includes:

  • Most indigenous peoples in the United States do not have access to important government records within their own tribes. There are 574 federally recognized sovereign tribal governments in the United States. The Native American Journalists Association reports that fewer than five tribes have freedom of information laws granting their citizens the right to access government documents or consultations. How can a government be there for the people if the people don’t know what is happening to their government?
  • The Missouri legislature is considering legislation that would significantly weaken the Missouri Sunshine Law.
  • Two Washington state bills would make it harder for applicants to appeal denials and allow courts to penalize applicants.
  • In Hawaii, legislators are considering legislation to keep household documents and other records private.
  • Arizona state lawmakers passed new rules in January that protect their own records from disclosure under the state’s Open Records Act.
  • The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a decision in 2022 that weakened claimants’ right to recover fees from unruly agencies.
  • In Iowa, state lawmakers are considering a measure that could cause significant delays in public record litigation in court.
  • In Georgia, lawmakers have pushed legislation that would “require the redacting of names and property rights from state databases of law enforcement personnel, politicians and hundreds of thousands of other government officials,” the Georgia Recorder reported.
  • Virginia state lawmakers last month rejected a proposal that would have required state agencies that use taxpayer-funded credit cards to disclose the names of government officials.
  • New Mexico state lawmakers are considering legislation that would reduce the transparency of the government’s hiring process for executive positions.

Details on all of these can be found here.

Twice in the past few days I’ve heard people who should know better call the failed bank in California the “Silicone Valley Bank.” So let’s take a moment to remember the difference between “silicon” and “silicone”.

Silicon is a naturally occurring chemical element. You can find it as the 14th element on the periodic table. It is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust (after oxygen).

PolymerSolutions says:

Pure silicon rarely occurs in nature. It is often combined with oxygen to form silicic acid or silicon dioxide. If you’re a beach bum, chances are you’ve felt silica between your toes — since it’s a key ingredient in sand. Its richness makes it a great building material for a variety of uses.

(PolimerSolutions.com)

But why do we have Silicon Valley or Silicon Valley Bank? Because silicon is widely used in electronics and computer technology because it conducts electricity. Live Science explains:

Silicon has many industrial uses: As a silicic acid, silicon is an important component of bricks, concrete and glass. In its silicate form, the element is used to make enamel, pottery, and ceramics.

Elemental silicon plays an important role in modern electronics as it is an ideal semiconductor for electricity. When heated to a molten state, silicon can be formed into semiconducting wafers that serve as the basis for integrated circuits (microchips).

In fact, Silicon Valley, the southern region of the San Francisco Bay Area, earned its name due to the region’s high concentration of computer and electronics companies that produce silicon-based semiconductors and chips.

Silicone is a synthetic substance that also contains silicone. Normally, silicone is a rubbery substance that has low toxicity and tolerates heat well. Live Science says, “In the medical field, silicone can be found in implants, catheters, contact lenses, dressings, and a multitude of other things. You can also find silicone in a range of personal care products, including shampoos, shaving cream and personal lubricants.”

Plumbers use silicone to make pipe joints watertight. Perhaps part of the confusion is that silicone is also widely used in electronics, but as insulation.

ZMEScience sums it up:

So the difference between the two should be obvious by now. They are both useful to the global economy, but one is a naturally occurring chemical element while the other is an artificial polymer.

Associate silicon with: chemistry, geology, computers, chips, semiconductors, Silicon Valley, cement, brick, glass.

Connect silicone to: insulation, molding, foam, coatings, cookware, fire protection.

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