A video featuring Jason Cannon, a professor of toxicology in the School of Health Sciences in Purdue University's College of Health and Human Sciences, has been uploaded to the AP Video Hub.
In the video, he explains what PFAS chemicals are and how the recent Environmental Protection Agency ruling aims to address them. This video can be found at https://bit.ly/3qlma2w. All videos in the Campus Insights series are free for download.
Cannon says that PFAS stands for "per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances."
PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they stick around in the environment and the human body for long periods of time. These chemicals have been linked to cancer and other harmful effects. The EPA recently proposed a rule that would require manufacturers to report high PFAS levels to the government.
Cannon says that this rule aims to increase the quality of cleanup in areas with high levels of PFAS.
He says that many in the scientific community feel that this new rule does not go far enough, as it is advisory and not enforceable.
Cannon notes that there are already local governments and areas in the U.S. with high PFAS levels that have said they will not be following these advisory limits. He says that emergent data suggests that PFAS are a critical public health issue that needs to be addressed in a strong way.
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