Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?

“永远的化学物质”是永远的问题吗?

The Daily

2024-04-17

24 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun for the first time to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals known as “forever chemicals” in America’s drinking water. Kim Tingley, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains how these chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, came to be in the water supply — and in many more places. Guest: Kim Tingley, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.
更多

单集文稿 ...

  • Craft matters in small ways, like how coffee is made or how a wooden table is built piece by piece, and in not so small ways, like how your money is cared for.

  • At UBS, we elevate investing to a craft.

  • We deliver our services with passion, expertise and meticulous attention to detail.

  • This is what investing means to UBS, not just work, but a craft.

  • Discover more@ubs.com craft.

  • The value of investments may fall as well as rise, and you may not get back the amount originally invested.

  • From the New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernisi, and this is the daily.

  • This.

  • Month, for the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency began to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals known as forever chemicals in America's drinking water.

  • But the chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, are in far more than just our water supply.

  • Today, my colleague Kim Tingley explains.

  • Its Wednesday, April 17.

  • So, Kim, any time the EPA announces a regulation, I think we all sort of take notice, because implicit in it is this idea that we have been exposed to something, something bad, potentially lead or asbestos.

  • You know, and recently the EPA is regulating a type of chemical known as PFAS.

  • So for those who don't know, what are PFAS chemicals?

  • Yeah.

  • So PFAS stands for per, and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

  • They're often called forever chemicals just because they persist so long in the environment and they don't easily break down.

  • And for that reason, we also use them in a ton of consumer products.

  • They're in makeup, they're in carpet, they're in nonstick cookware.