By: Annalissa Thomas

Hazardous chemicals used to be found in common consumer products, however many efforts were made to fix that, and now almost all consumer products are fine. It has been found, however, that these hazardous chemicals are present in drinking water. New Jersey has some of the highest concentration of these chemicals, so it’s taking the lead in controlling this risk (Hurdle). The class of chemicals that are present in the drinking water is called perfluorinated chemicals, and it has been linked to cancer, high cholesterol, and developmental problems in young children. This has prompted the United States Environmental Protection Agency to take action and issue a health advisory. Certain states have taken matters into their own hands, however, and have begun imposing their own restrictions – one state being New Jersey, as risk is highest there. A panel of scientists has imposed strict limits on perflurooctane sulfonate. This chemical has health effects that may include low birth weight in infants, kidney and testicular cancer, liver damage, etc. This action was necessary in order to mitigate the effects this class of chemicals is having.

Issuing policies and orders when it comes to hazardous chemicals is essential, as people need to be informed and aware of what is inside the products they are consuming. The vast majority of individuals do not know what is even in the things they are consuming, so these actions by those who do in fact know about the hazardous chemicals are very important.

 

“Health Effects of PFAS.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 Aug. 2016, www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfc/health_effects_pfcs.html.

Hurdle, Jon. “New Jersey Seeks Stricter Limit on Chemical in Drinking Water.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/nyregion/new-jersey-pfc-water-limits.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=10&pgtype=sectionfront.