Authorities in northeastern France have banned the consumption of tap water in 17 communes across the Ardennes and Meuse departments due to the detection of abnormally high levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a carcinogenic substance belonging to the group of so-called "forever chemicals" or PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). This contamination represents unprecedented proportions in France and has prompted health warnings, including prohibitions on using the water for drinking and preparing infant formula. Local officials have expressed concern over the impact on their communities. Meanwhile, a separate study led by Harvard researchers published in JAMA Network Open has found that individuals who lived as children near Coldwater Creek, a tributary north of St. Louis, Missouri, contaminated by nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project, face significantly elevated cancer risks later in life. Experts caution that while detected levels of PFAS in water are very low, the long-term health effects of exposure remain uncertain.