Skiers and snowboarders move to get on a lift in Park City on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Park City officials enacted a drinking water regulation that prohibits using or selling a certain kind of ski wax they believe is causing contamination of groundwater wells and an aquifer.
Fluoro ski wax, which is usually labeled with LF and HF on packaging, contains polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Known by the ominous nickname “forever chemicals” or PFAS, these man-made chemicals by the thousands are used in everyday materials to repel oil, water, grease and stains, and a host of other applications.
They’re everywhere, they only break down over an extended period of time, and can pose health risks at certain levels that include thyroid disease, changes in liver enzymes and high cholesterol.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency received $2 billion in February under President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS.
Here is what the EPA has concluded so far with its outreach and research:
Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment.
PFAS are found in water, air, fish and soil at locations across the nation and the globe.
There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products. This makes it challenging to study and assess the potential human health and environmental risks.
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‘Forever chemicals’ are everywhere and potentially harmful to you
Source:: Deseret News – Utah News