Ira Flatow

I'm Ira Flato.

We'll see you soon.

Hi, this is Ira Plato, and you're listening to Science Friday.

Nearly every one of us has some type of PFAS, commonly known as forever chemicals, in their blood.

These chemicals are found in nonstick pan coatings, waterproof materials, and firefighting foam.

Roughly two years ago, the EPA adopted federal regulations for PFAS levels in drinking water, though last year the Trump administration rolled back some of those regulations.

But back in 2018, New Jersey was the first state to adopt its own drinking water standards for PFAS.

And now 10 years later, researchers at Rutgers University have crunched the data to see how well it worked.

Joining me now to tell us more is the lead author of the study, Dr. Hari Iyer, assistant professor of cancer epidemiology and health outcomes at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Welcome to Science Friday.

Thanks so much, Ira.

It's so great to be here.

Nice to have you.

Okay, let's jump right in.

What did you find in this study?

Wow.

Is that a surprising study?

I mean, that's a pretty big drop.

So would you describe the PFAS in the water now at a safe level in New Jersey?

Yeah, so we don't know what those long-term health risks are.