The Trump administration is delaying the publication of a report a few dangerous “forever chemical” often known as perfluorononanoic acid, or PFNA, found in 28 states’ faucet water.
The information was first reported by ProPublica in early October, just a few weeks after the Union of Involved Scientists posted concerning the unpublished report by specialists inside the Environmental Safety Company, calling it “yet another attack on [scientific integrity] and our health.”
ProPublica discovered that the ultimate PFNA report has been finalized and able to publish since April, though the EPA informed ProPublica that it’s not but remaining.
PFNA is a kind of PFAS, that are additionally known as “forever chemicals.” These chemical substances are man-made and “don’t behave like your usual organic pollutants that we know how to treat and what to expect from them,” mentioned Carla Ng, an affiliate professor in civil and environmental engineering on the College of Pittsburgh.
This story is a part of HuffPost’s dedication to fearlessly masking the Trump administration. You may help our work and shield the free press by contributing to our newsroom.
Analysis exhibits that PFAS, just like the PFNA just lately present in faucet water, immediately hurt our well being, inflicting reproductive points, neurodevelopment issues, and, in some instances, are linked to most cancers.
PFAS are present in consuming water, which was the focus of this PFNA analysis, however are additionally in nonstick cookware, cleansing merchandise, water resistant jackets and tents, seafood, firefighting foam, meals packaging, stain-resistant materials, make-up and extra.
Within the unpublished report, “there was sufficient evidence to demonstrate that PFNA exposure, over time, can lead to developmental harms like reduced birth weight in babies, as well as hepatic or liver harms,” mentioned Darya Minovi, a senior analyst within the Heart for Science and Democracy on the Union of Involved Scientists.
In line with ProPublica, the evaluation additionally discovered that PFNA particularly is dangerous for male reproductive methods, “including reductions in testosterone levels, sperm production and the size of reproductive organs.”
Since ProPublica broke the information of the PFNA report delay, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) has urged the EPA to share why the report has not but been launched, however there was no replace from the company.
In a press release to HuffPost, an EPA spokesperson mentioned that “the Trump EPA is committed to addressing PFAS to ensure that Americans have the cleanest air, land and water, carrying out our core mission of protecting human health and the environment. EPA’s progress on PFAS started under the first Trump administration, and that historic work is continuing today.”
Illustration: Kelly Caminero/HuffPost; Picture: Getty Photographs
Roughly 25 million individuals within the U.S. have PFNA of their water that exceeds EPA tips, based on information from the Environmental Working Group. When contemplating without end chemical substances, general, and never simply PFNA particularly, 158 million individuals have a measurable quantity of PFAS of their water — and 73 million individuals have an quantity that exceeds EPA without end chemical limits, based on the Pure Assets Protection Council.
“Let’s face it, a lot of people think, ‘Oh, water contamination is a problem in Flint [Michigan] or in some remote community someplace, but not where I’m from,’” mentioned Erik D. Olson, the senior strategic director for well being on the Pure Assets Protection Council.
“Unfortunately, what the forever chemicals crisis is showing us … is that this is not just a problem in Flint and a few other cities. This is a widespread contamination issue that we really need to deal with,” Olson added.
Whereas this can be a widespread difficulty in lots of communities all through the nation, Black communities and Hispanic communities are hardest hit. Analysis exhibits that these teams usually tend to be uncovered to PFAS in consuming water.
The unpublished analysis goes in opposition to a Trump administration plan to roll again limits on PFAS in consuming water.
In the previous few years, the Biden administration took steps to control PFAS air pollution and develop consuming water limits for a few of the PFAS present in faucet water, Minovi mentioned.
Underneath the Trump administration, although, the EPA has reversed a few of these protections and moved to weaken these PFAS rules, permitting extra without end chemical substances to infiltrate faucet water.
“They announced to revoke four of the six PFAS standards that EPA issued under the Biden administration,” Olson mentioned. This contains rules on PFNA, he added.
This transformation could also be due to stress from chemical corporations. In December 2024, quite a few chemical producers and industrial producers despatched the incoming Trump administration primarily a “wish list of deregulation,” Minovi mentioned, including that the producers “specifically say in the letter” that they’re asking the administration to pause the PFAS guidelines.
Specialists say it’s additionally a part of an assault on the Built-in Threat Info System Program on the EPA.
There has additionally been a long-standing effort to dismantle the work performed by the Built-in Threat Info System Program (IRIS) on the EPA, which is the group that conducts thorough analyses on the well being results of publicity to particular chemical substances, Monovi defined. And the IRIS danger evaluation of PFNA is what’s presently delayed by the EPA.
Republicans have launched laws to restrict the facility of IRIS, and as with many federal companies this yr, layoffs and firings have lower many roles inside the program.
IRIS assessments take years and contain peer assessment and public remark, with an finish plan to assist inform regulation, Minovi mentioned. In different phrases, these reviews are prolonged and deeply investigated earlier than they draw any conclusions.
Specialists say that is all a part of the Trump admin’s MO — burying analysis that doesn’t align with its political plans.
This isn’t the primary time the Trump administration has buried scientific analysis. Earlier this yr, Vox first reported that the Division of Health and Human Providers selected to not publish a federal research on the harms of consuming alcohol that was supposed to tell the brand new dietary tips.
And through the first Trump administration, “there was a report that was done by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry … that had found that several PFAS were much more dangerous than the EPA had previously estimated, and there was … a leaked email from the White House, the Trump White House at the time, that said this is potentially a public relations disaster, we shouldn’t let this thing out,” based on Olson.
It’s customary for the Trump administration to “downplay the risks and to try to put the kibosh on any new science that demonstrates how dangerous these chemicals are,” Olson added.
In a press release to HuffPost, White Home spokesperson Taylor Rogers mentioned, “President Trump and Administrator [of the EPA] Zeldin are working in lockstep to remove harmful toxins from the environment. The Trump administration has made it clear that PFAS chemicals are harmful to human health and that further research on the danger of PFAS is critical to ensure we are Making America Healthy Again. Contrary to the lies peddled by far-left, Climate activists, the facts remain: US water quality is among the best of industrialized countries and our framework for environmental protection remains the gold standard across the world.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly mentioned it should restore “gold-standard science,” however not publishing the PFNA analysis is a direct knock in opposition to that, specialists say. Olson, who began his profession as a lawyer on the EPA a long time in the past, mentioned not publishing scientific reviews isn’t regular for a presidential administration, both.
“When you have ‘gold-standard science’ that disagrees with what they want the narrative to be, they just try to kill it — and that’s extremely problematic,” Olson mentioned.
“I personally don’t think it’s a coincidence that the agency is withholding release of an assessment that finds and designates health risks associated with PFNA exposure, while, [on] the other hand, they’re also weakening and eliminating these drinking water standards that were established under President Biden,” Minovi mentioned.
“It would be very odd for them to release a report that says, ‘actually, this is harmful to your health if you’re exposed over time, but we’re not going to actually regulate it,’” she continued.
“I personally don’t think it’s a coincidence that the agency is withholding release of an assessment that finds and designates health risks associated with PFNA exposure, while, [on] the other hand, they’re also weakening and eliminating these drinking water standards that were established under President Biden.”
– Darya Minovi
You may attain out to your elected officers and native water corporations to advocate for clear water.
“My personal belief … is that consumers should not have to bear the personal responsibility of things that are services that our government should and could provide,” Minovi mentioned.
Nonetheless, this isn’t the case proper now. Whereas it shouldn’t be on the buyer to advocate for clear consuming water or repair it themselves, that’s presently our actuality.
“I think the bottom line is that this is a solvable problem,” Olson mentioned. There’s know-how to take away PFNA (and PFAS general) out of your water at residence and from the water on the therapy plant. “Unfortunately, the federal government and the water utilities just aren’t feeling enough pressure from people to fix this problem,” he mentioned.
It is best to name your elected representatives and your native water firm, inquire concerning the PFAS in your water and voice your concern about having to drink these substances.
Sure states like Illinois, New York and extra are working to introduce statewide PFAS rules for merchandise and/or consuming water.
“I think that might be the place where you can maybe have the most success ― talking to your state representative to see if there’s any interest in picking up where the federal government is falling short,” Minovi mentioned.
Past PFNA in water, it’s additionally necessary to advocate for the elimination of all without end chemical substances for nonessential use, Ng mentioned. Once more, PFAS are present in clothes, meals packaging, make-up and extra.
“I think knowing where PFAS are used is still a huge piece … we often don’t get full ingredient lists for things, and so pressing your representatives and companies for better labeling when PFAS are present because then people can say, ‘Hey, I don’t want this in this product,’ and they can protest with their wallet,” Ng mentioned. “And that will really help to motivate companies to find alternatives.”
Within the meantime, sure at-home water filters can remove PFNA (and all PFAS) out of your consuming water.
Any motion by the federal government and your native water division will take time.
Sadly, this is a matter of haves and the have-nots. For many who can afford it, an instantaneous repair to this drawback is getting a third-party-tested, at-home water filtration system.
However many individuals can’t afford to spend a whole bunch of {dollars} on a water filtration system or go for the (in all probability costlier) non-PFAS carpet, which makes advocating for federal and state-level change the precedence.
For many who can afford to buy a filter, “you need to know what contaminants you’re worried about,” Olson mentioned, including that you must be capable of observe down this info by asking your water firm.
As soon as you recognize what’s in your water, yow will discover filters that take away these contaminants. It’s necessary that you just be certain that the filters are licensed by NSF Worldwide or the Water High quality Affiliation. It will make sure the filters really hold out what they are saying they do.
“Products certified by WQA to reduce PFAS can be found online,” Susan Keaton, the affiliate director of selling and communications for the Water High quality Affiliation, informed HuffPost.
There are carbon filters, anion change methods, reverse osmosis filters and extra. Reverse osmosis filters, particularly, have gotten numerous consideration these days, and for good purpose. They’re efficient at eradicating the “vast majority of chemicals,” based on Olson, together with without end chemical substances like PFNA but in addition different dangerous chemical substances like arsenic and lead.
This doesn’t imply all reverse osmosis filters take out PFAS, although. The Water High quality Affiliation “recommends verifying that the system you are considering is certified to reduce PFAS because not all reverse osmosis, carbon filters or anion exchange systems are designed to tackle these contaminants,” mentioned Eric Yeggy, technical affairs director on the Water High quality Affiliation.
Not realizing scale back PFAS publicity shouldn’t be an ethical failing. It’s a governmental failing.
Our well being establishments are supposed to shield us, and many individuals inside these organizations wish to try this, even when the powers that be don’t seem to share that want.
“It’s really extremely problematic that EPA scientists go through the entire process of extensive peer review and internal and external review of the science and finalize a report, and then it’s basically asphyxiated before it becomes public,” Olson mentioned.
Ng hopes this doesn’t destroy public belief in our establishments — “because the folks who worked with the EPA to put these reports together were scientists doing their work and really putting the best of the facts together to help protect the safety of the American public,” Ng defined.
Federal scientists have confronted anger and scapegoating, notably these previous few months, added Minovi, however that’s misdirected.
“When you really follow the trail, you see just how much the corporations that stand to make a penny off of deregulation are actually influencing this process … and I would urge people to really question whether the administration is following through on its [Make America Healthy Again] principles,” Minovi mentioned.
