PFAS

Scientists know our bodies are full of microplastics. What are they doing to us?

11:35am December 18, 2024

Plastic particles are found in our organs, blood and even semen. But do they stay in us forever? What damage are they doing? Here are six questions scientists are trying to answer.

How a California county got PFAS out of its drinking water

12:48pm September 12, 2024

Water utilities across the country will have to comply with EPA limits on "forever chemicals" in drinking water by 2029. Orange County, Calif., got a head start.

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Nearly Half Of U.S. Tap Water Contains Forever Chemicals, Study Finds

Health & Safety

The EPA's new limits on PFAS in drinking water face legal challenges

1:34pm June 21, 2024

by Pien Huang

Chemical companies and water utilities are challenging the EPA’s recent rule putting limits on six PFAS chemicals in drinking water.

Bill for `forever chemicals' manufacturers to pay North Carolina water systems advances

1:03pm June 12, 2024

by Associated Press

An effort to order manufacturers of "forever chemicals" to help North Carolina public water systems pay for upgrades to remove contaminants that a company discharged has been renewed in the General Assembly. The House Environment Committee voted Tuesday for the measure pushed by Republican lawmakers from the Wilmington area.

Environment

Study shows humans may be similarly impacted from 'forever chemicals' that researchers are finding in animals

4:40pm June 06, 2024

by Paul Garber

WFDD’s Paul Garber spoke with NC State endocrine toxicologist Scott Belcher about his work studying PFAS chemicals in wildlife. He begins by explaining why alligators in the Cape Fear River basin are important indicators of the potential health impacts of PFAS on humans.

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Mitchell Water Treatment Plant in Greensboro.

Health & Safety

Greensboro water quality meets or surpasses EPA standards

2:19pm June 04, 2024

by David Ford

Greensboro's 2023 Annual Drinking Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report shows that the city's water is safe to drink.

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From left: Shohei Ohtani, Te-Hina Paopao, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump

Would you qualify for the jury on a Trump trial? Find out in the quiz

3:03pm April 12, 2024

by Holly J. Morris

Why is a famous elementary particle in the news? Where is Chechnya and what did it ban? Which prince is Andrew again? If you know these things, you'll get at least a 3 out of 11.

EPA is limiting PFAS chemicals in drinking water in the U.S.

EPA puts limits on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

5:01am April 10, 2024

by Pien Huang

PFAS chemicals have been used for decades to waterproof and stain-proof consumer products and are linked to health problems.

Eva Stebel, water researcher, pours a water sample into a smaller glass container for experimentation as part of drinking water and PFAS research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Center For Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Feb. 16, 2023, in Cincinnati.

The EPA is proposing that 'forever chemicals' be considered hazardous substances

4:09am February 02, 2024

by Ayana Archie

A study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that the man-made chemicals are present in nearly half the country's tap water supply.

A study released by the U.S. Geological Survey on Wednesday estimates that at least 45% of U.S. tap water could be contaminated with at least one form of PFAS, which could have harmful health effects.

'Forever chemicals' could be in nearly half of U.S. tap water, a federal study finds

2:57pm July 06, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

A new government study estimates that at least 45% of the nation's tap water could be contaminated with one or more forms of PFAS. Here's what to do if you're worried about what's in your faucet.