There is disturbing news coming from a U.S. government office about the safety–or lack thereof–of drinking water in the U.S. According to a government study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets likely contains toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” that may cause cancer and other health problems.
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Why this study is important
The study is the first nationwide effort to test for PFAS in tap water from private sources, in addition to regulated ones.** It builds on previous scientific findings that the chemicals are widespread, showing up in consumer products, food and drinking water across the U.S.
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Study overview
Federal and state programs typically measure exposure to pollutants such as PFAS* at water treatment plants or groundwater wells that supply them. The USGS report, on the other hand, was based on samples from taps in 716 locations, including 447 that rely on public supplies and 269 using private wells.
The water samples were taken between 2016 and 2021 at a range of locations, mostly from private residences, but also a few schools and offices. The sample testing also included protected lands such as national parks, residential and rural areas with no identified PFAS sources, and urban centers with industry or waste sites known to generate PFAS.
Most taps were sampled just once. Three were sampled multiple times over a three-month period, with little change to final results. Scientists tested for 32 PFAS compounds. Thousands of other toxic PFAS chemicals are believed to exist in water systems and other public use sources, but cannot yet be identified with current technology.
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Results overview
The types found most often were PFBS, PFHxS and PFOA. Also making frequent appearances was PFOS, one of the most common nationwide.
Positive samples contained as many as nine varieties, although most were closer to two. The median concentration was around seven parts per trillion for all 32 PFAS types, although for PFOA and PFOS it was about four parts per trillion — the limit EPA has proposed for those two compounds.
The heaviest exposures were in cities and near potential sources of the compounds, particularly in the Eastern Seaboard; Great Lakes and Great Plains urban centers; and Central and Southern California. Many of the tests, mostly in rural areas, found no PFAS.
Based on the data, researchers estimated that at least one form of PFAS could be found in approximately half (~45%) of U.S. tap water samples nationwide.
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What should consumers do?
According to experts, the information from the study “can be used to evaluate risk of exposure and inform decisions about whether or not you want to treat your drinking water, get it tested, or get more information from your state” about the situation locally. Further, the study underscores that private well users should have their water tested for PFAS and consider installing filters.
Filters containing activated carbon or reverse osmosis membranes can remove the compounds.
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The real problem
The U.S. government has still not prohibited companies from using the toxic chemicals nor from dumping them into public wastewater systems.
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*PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are toxic to humans, animals and the environment. They are comprised of approximately 14,000 human-made chemical compounds. The chemicals are ubiquitous in the U.S., appearing in thousands of consumer and industrial products and are typically used to make products resist water, stains and heat, including household products (like carpeting, curtains, furniture upholstery, waterproof and stain-resistant flooring, etc.), cooking supplies (including cooking utensils and bake ware), clothing, personal care products (like cosmetics, including waterproof mascara, dental floss, contact lenses and feminine hygiene products) and even food (PFAS appears in processed food packaging for humans and pets), pharmaceuticals like Prozac, and public drinking water (tap water) that affects an estimated 2 million Americans. PFAS chemicals are usually found in products labeled “stain-proof” and “waterproof”. PFAS chemicals also appear in fire-fighting foam and other industrial products used at airports and military bases across the country, where the chemicals have leached into the groundwater. PFAS chemicals are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment or human body. PFAS chemicals have been linked in scientific and medical studies to a variety of serious health conditions including cancer (which includes testicular and kidney cancers), kidney disease, heart disease, thyroid problems, reproductive problems, endocrine problems (PFAS has been found to disrupt hormonal functions with some research suggesting that the PFAS chemicals are linked to accelerated ovarian aging, period irregularities and ovarian disorders like polycystic ovarian syndrome) and liver problems. Some newer PFAS have been found to accumulate in organs, so in some cases, science simply cannot detect the toxic chemicals when testing for it in blood.
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**Early in 2023 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first federal drinking water limits on six forms of PFAS which do not degrade and remain in the human body and environment for years.
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Source: AP
Eric
Chemical Free Life 