EPA Designates Two 'Forever Chemicals' as Hazardous

MONDAY, April 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Two common PFAS "forever chemicals" have been deemed hazardous substances by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The new designation, enacted under the country's Superfund law, will let the EPA investigate and clean up leaks and spills of these harmful chemicals, agency officials said Friday.

It will also mean polluters can be charged for the clean-up of contaminations involving these chemicals.

The two chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), belong to a larger class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS). These chemicals take a long time to break down in the environment and in the human body.