“More governmental bodies are looking and finding PFAS in water, sludge and the air. “The interest and action is just increasing,” said Sarah Doll, national director of Safer States, an alliance of environmental health groups focused on toxic chemicals. And as more agencies and lawmakers become interested and begin testing for PFAS, experts say, more changes will come. Many are pursuing cleanup and remediation efforts, with states suing polluters for compensation ranging from tens of millions to nearly a billion dollars. Others have issued stronger water quality standards or empowered state agencies to speed up regulations. Some have banned the use of PFAS in certain consumer products. While states await regulations from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, rising awareness in recent years has prompted more than two dozen states to take the initiative to protect their residents’ health, in many cases through bipartisan legislation. Research shows that some PFAS compounds may decrease fertility, cause metabolic disorders, damage the immune system and increase the risk of cancer. The chemicals, which do not naturally break down, are so widespread that they’re found in the blood of 97% of Americans. The thousands of chemicals in the group known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are found in cookware, packaging, cosmetics, clothing, carpet, electronics, firefighting foam and many other products.
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