Decades Old Chemicals, New Angst Over Drinking Water

In some parts of the country people are learning their drinking water contains pollution from a group of chemicals called Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). These chemicals have been linked to illnesses, including cancer. But a lot of questions remain including how exactly they affect people's health and in what doses.

These chemicals have been around for decades but the issue gained urgency in recent years as water suppliers tested for and found PFAS pollution as part of an Environmental Protection Agency program.

The EPA is working on a plan to manage PFAS but members of Congress. A few states already have established strict new standards to limit the compounds in drinking water. And in some places, , PFAS pollution has become an issue in mid-term election races.