‘Forever chemicals’ get new limits

Massachusetts has issued significant new limits on human-made compounds found in drinking water, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS), which have been linked to cancer, low birth weights, and a range of diseases. Under the new rules, municipalities will be required to clean up their drinking water if the total concentration of six of the more common PFAS chemicals reaches 20 parts per trillion. Public water suppliers that serve more than 25 people per day for at least two months a year must begin testing for the six chemicals in 2021.