New consumer products containing so-called forever chemicals will be outlawed in Maine next year after regulators denied exemptions for goods including nonstick cookware.
The Board of Environmental Protection voted that most items do not qualify for a “currently unavoidable use” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The ban goes into effect next year and extends to upholstered furniture, cosmetics, cleaners and other common items.
Maine was one of the first states to pass a PFAS products ban. The family of durable synthetic chemicals has been linked to human health problems.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.