U.S. regulators on April 10 put in place the nation’s first legally enforceable limits for levels of six toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water, saying the move should prevent thousands of deaths and reduce serious illnesses in people across the country.

U.S. regulators on April 10 put in place the nation’s first legally enforceable limits for levels of six toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water, saying the move should prevent thousands of deaths and reduce serious illnesses in people across the country.

The rule is designed to reduce exposure to these per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — also called “forever chemicals” — for about 100 million people nationwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Exposure to PFAS has been linked to “deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to infants and children,” the EPA said.