"EPA's Revised PFAS Definition May Overlook Numerous 'Forever Chemicals'"

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has changed its definition of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) for the second time in 2021, a move that critics fear will exclude thousands of "forever chemicals" from regulation and benefit industry. The new "case-by-case" approach allows the EPA to be more flexible in determining which chemicals should be regulated, potentially excluding certain chemicals in pharmaceuticals and pesticides. This approach puts the EPA at odds with other agencies and scientific consensus. Public health advocates argue that all PFAS are persistent and toxic, and are calling for stricter regulation of the entire chemical class. The shifting definition complicates efforts to rein in PFAS pollution, and the EPA is accused of failing to protect human health and the environment.