The Environmental Protection Agency proposed designating two chemicals used for more than half a century in everything from carpets to cookware as hazardous substances, the latest effort to clean up compounds linked to cancer and other health problems.
The two man-made substances, commonly known as PFOA and PFOS, were used in consumer products under brand names such as Teflon and Scotchgard beginning in the 1950s because of their nonstick and water-repellent qualities. They are part of a class of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” because they infiltrate people and the environment without breaking down.