PFAS: Persistent Pollutants – Health and Environmental Impacts (2)
How do polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), widely used since the 1950s and now known as the “forever chemicals”, affect humans and the environment?
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- The US EPA has set standards for the amount of PFAS in drinking water in 2024.
- The agency is currently considering rolling back some of these standards in 2026.
- But water utilities in Indiana are already removing PFAS from drinking water.
The federal government is proposing to roll back and slow implementation of standards for some PFAS compounds in drinking water, but environmentalists in Indiana are concerned the move could harm Hoosiers’ health.
In late May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced potential changes to two rules regarding pollutants known as “forever chemicals.”
One proposal is to repeal rules that set acceptable levels for four different PFAS compounds in drinking water. Another proposed rule would give water utilities an additional two years to meet certain drinking water standards.
Gov. Mike Brown signed an executive order in 2025 requiring Indiana’s environmental regulations to be less stringent than federal regulations. That means if the federal government rescinds its rules, Indiana would have to follow suit.
Desi Leibold, director of conservation policy for the Indiana Conservation Voters, said the proposed policy cuts could mean Hoosiers are less confident that their drinking water is PFAS-free.
“The EPA has the authority here, and it would harm our health and put Hoosiers at risk,” Leibold said.
What are PFAS?
More than 21,000 PFAS compounds are used in commercial and industrial manufacturing, but only six are federally regulated in the United States. These lab-made compounds, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have become known as “permanent chemicals” because they break down so slowly and remain in the human body and the environment.
According to a 2025 Purdue University study, Indiana residents’ primary exposure to potentially toxic substances comes from drinking water. PFAS are also found in everyday products such as cookware, cosmetics, and food packaging, as well as some personal hygiene products such as shampoo and dental floss.
Impact of PFAS on public health
Exposure to PFAS can cause cancer, cardiovascular problems, liver damage, and developmental problems during pregnancy, among other adverse health effects., According to the EPA.
“They’re also bioaccumulative, meaning they accumulate in our bodies,” Carpenter says.
According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, PFAS are present in fire training ranges, industrial facilities, landfills, water treatment facilities and biosolids.
A 2025 study at Purdue found that more than 20 counties across Indiana tested above the maximum standards set by the EPA.
ICV’s Leibold said that if protection from PFAS is delayed, the toxins will enter the water over a longer period of time, increasing individual exposure.
“We need bipartisan agreement to keep (the regulations) in place,” Leibold said. “People aren’t going to argue about clean drinking water.”
EPA rescinds standards for some PFAS
The EPA’s proposed rule change would repeal regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act for three PFAS compounds and mixtures containing two or more of those chemicals in 2024.
The agency argues that the 2024 rule is illegal following last year’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that eliminated the Chevron Principles, a framework that allows government agencies such as the EPA to reasonably interpret ambiguous statutes.
ICV’s Leibold said the 2024 rule is a good first step to addressing PFAS contamination in drinking water.
“These regulations actually only touch on six of the many compounds (PFAS compounds), all of which are known toxins that have a variety of health effects,” Leibold said. “So it’s not very good to put them back.”
EPA delays compliance with two remaining PFAS standards
The 2024 PFAS rule gave public water systems five years to comply with new drinking water standards. The original deadline was April 26, 2029. The new EPA proposal would push that back to April 26, 2031.
EPA officials say they need to delay compliance because public water systems face too many challenges to meet the original deadline. Challenges include finding certified operators, securing funding, and improving the capital needed for PFAS filtration.
Sam Carpenter, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, agreed that managing PFAS is not easy for water systems.
“It’s expensive to implement at the local water system level,” Carpenter said, “but I don’t think not filtering out PFAS, which are known to have negative health effects, is the solution.”
Where can I find PFAS protections in Indiana?
Most water utilities in Indiana do not yet filter PFAS, but Indiana American Water opened the state’s first chemical treatment system in January 2026.
The PFAS filtration system, which cost nearly $6 million, is being installed at a relatively new water treatment facility in Charlestown, in southern Indiana, just north of Louisville.
Barry Suit, president of Indiana American Water (INAW), said he and his company have been preparing to implement filtration for several years.
Before INAW completed construction of the facility in 2022, Suits saw PFAS regulations being developed and the utility decided to incorporate PFAS filters into its plans.
“We built that plant in hopes that the (PFAS) regulations would be finalized,” Suit said.
The plant has two large steel tanks, or vessels, filled with particulate carbon. The particulate carbon absorbs PFAS from the water as it passes through two tanks for filtration.
Suits said PFAS filtration can take up a lot of space within existing water treatment facilities, and retrofitting existing facilities with filtration systems requires significant planning and expense.
“It’s more difficult to add it to a facility than it is to incorporate it into a new facility,” Suits said.
On May 19, the EPA announced approximately $13 million in funding to Indiana to address PFAS in drinking water. A little more than twice the cost of Charlestown’s PFAS treatment equipment will go towards testing, planning and infrastructure projects.
“This funding is another important step toward delivering clean, safe drinking water to communities that have been burdened by PFAS for far too long,” EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel said in a news release.
Next steps for PFAS rules
EPA will hold a public hearing on each proposed rule change on July 7, 2026. Public hearings will be held on a rolling basis, and those wishing to comment on either or both rules must submit a consolidated registration by July 1.
More information about submitting comments can be found online at eventbrite.com/e/public-hearing-for-proused-regulations-popular-to-pfas-in-dringing-water-tickets-1988851418130?aff=oddtdtcreator
At the end of the public comment period, which ends July 20, EPA may consolidate the two proposed rules into one because they address the same federal regulations.
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environmental reporter. Contact karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on BlueSky or Twitter @karlstartswithk
The IndyStar Environmental Reporting Project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
