The federal government just tightened the spotlight on another toxic “forever chemical” moving through U.S. industry.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a new rule adding sodium perfluorohexanesulfonate — better known as PFHxS-Na — to its Toxics Release Inventory, a national database that tracks how much pollution industrial facilities release into the environment.

In practical terms, that means companies in covered industries must now monitor, document, and publicly report any use or discharge of PFHxS-Na. Tracking officially began January 1, 2026, with the first reports due to EPA by July 1, 2027. Because the chemical is classified as one of special concern, facilities face a much lower reporting threshold — just 100 pounds annually.

The move is part of a broader effort to shine light on PFAS chemicals, a large family of man-made compounds widely used in manufacturing, firefighting foams, coatings, and consumer products. PFAS are known for their extreme persistence. They don’t easily break down in the environment or the human body, which is why scientists and regulators often refer to them as forever chemicals.

PFHxS-Na is the latest addition under a process created by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020. That law requires EPA to automatically add new PFAS compounds to the Toxics Release Inventory each year as they are designated for regulation. With this update, the total number of PFAS chemicals tracked by the program has now reached 206.

The TRI system has long served as a public window into industrial pollution, allowing communities, researchers, and policymakers to see what chemicals are being used locally — and in what quantities. Environmental groups frequently rely on the data to identify contamination trends and push for cleanup or tighter controls.

Adding PFHxS-Na strengthens that transparency at a time when PFAS contamination is being detected in groundwater, surface water, and drinking water systems across the country. Many states are already rolling out stricter drinking water limits and remediation programs as evidence mounts linking certain PFAS compounds to health risks.

For businesses, the new rule brings additional compliance work and reporting responsibilities. For communities, it offers clearer insight into where PFAS pollution may be coming from.

More broadly, the expansion reflects a steady shift in how the federal government is approaching PFAS — not as isolated chemicals, but as a growing class of contaminants that require systematic tracking and long-term oversight.

As more PFAS compounds enter the inventory, the public picture of where these chemicals are used — and released — will only become sharper. And with that visibility comes increasing pressure on industry to reduce pollution at its source rather than manage it after the fact.