Japan will order all water suppliers nationwide to take steps to counter the spread of “forever chemicals” that have been found in drinking water by next spring, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of over 10,000 fluorinated chemicals that have been used worldwide since the 1940s. Recent studies suggest the chemicals are carcinogenic and carry other health risks.
“It is important to reduce the health risks of PFAS such as PFOS and PFOA through drinking water,” Ishiba told an Upper House session, referring to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid.
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