100 million Americans are exposed to unregulated contaminants in their drinking water, researchers warn
Nearly 100 million Americans are exposed to water contaminated with potentially carcinogenic substances.
A new study finds that a third of the country drinks drinking water that is full of unregulated – and unknown – contaminants that can have major consequences for their health.
Researchers at the Silent Spring Institute, a nonprofit organization that studies the effects of the environment on cancer, looked at data from more than 4,800 water sources and found that 27 percent — which provide water to 97 million people — had detectable levels of at least had one of the four chemicals.
Several of these have been linked to organ damage, cancer and hormonal imbalances.
Co-author Laurel Schaider, a scientist at the Silent Spring Institute, said: ‘We know that there are thousands of other harmful chemicals that are unregulated and that are leaching into groundwater and surface water, and some of these chemicals may eventually end up in groundwater. drinking water supply.’
Researchers also found that communities with a higher proportion of Hispanic and Black residents tended to have higher levels of pollutants and were likely closer to major polluters such as wastewater treatment plants, airports, military training sites and industrial areas.
Lead author Aaron Maruzzo, also a scientist at the Silent Spring Institute, added: “Our findings show that the percentage of Hispanic and Black residents in a community is a consistent predictor of poorer water quality.”
The federal government regulates only a fraction of the total number of pollutants lurking in the water of millions of Americans. This leaves it up to states to set safety limits, but only in certain areas, meaning many people are unknowingly exposed.
The map compiled by the US Geological Survey shows the number of PFAS detections in a wide range of locations nationwide between 2016 and 2021.
The team analyzed data from the 4,815 water sources that were part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring program, collected between 2013 and 2015.
This program collects data on contaminants suspected of being present in drinking water that are not subject to established standards set forth in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The program monitors all public water systems, including small (serving 3,300 to 10,000 people) and large (serving more than 10,000 people), as well as a range of water systems serving fewer than 3,300 people.
It is designed to examine a list of contaminants that are currently unregulated, suspected of being present in public water systems, and those that experts believe should be regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is currently tests and regulates virtually all contaminants. 100 pollutants.
The four chemicals analyzed by Silent Spring include 1,4-dioxane, a solvent classified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen. It is found in consumer products such as cosmetics, detergents and shampoos.
Long-term exposure may increase the risk of liver and kidney damage and liver tumors.
In second place was the group of ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These nonstick chemicals are widely used in consumer products, from raincoats to cookware.
They have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and a host of other health problems.
The third substance was chlorodifluoromethane (Freon 22), an ozone-depleting gas previously used as a refrigerant and used in the production of fluoropolymers, such as Teflon.
Researchers at the Silent Spring Institute have found detectable levels of at least one of four chemicals in 27 percent of more than 4,800 water sources, affecting 97 million people
The pollutant is extremely harmful when inhaled, causing confusion, drowsiness, heart palpitations and organ damage.
Finally, they analyzed levels of 1,1-dichloroethane, a solvent used in paints, plastics and pesticides that has been linked to cancer.
Of the sites they tested, 22 percent had detectable levels of 1,4-dioxane, six percent had levels of chlorodifluoromethane, 4.7 percent had levels of 1,1-dichloroethane, and four percent contained PFAS.
Unregulated contaminated water systems were more common in larger systems (serving more than 10,000 people), urban systems, and systems that use groundwater.
Larger water systems were almost three times as likely to contain potentially harmful contaminants compared to smaller systems.
Additionally, systems with PFAS-producing industries in their vicinity, such as factories, were ten times more likely to detect PFAS in the water.
The chemicals can linger in the body for years after ingestion and settle in body tissues. They can then cause inflammation and damage throughout the body.
For higher levels of pollutants in urban areas and areas with a higher percentage of Hispanics, Dr. Maruzzo said racial disparities cannot be explained by income or other socioeconomic factors.
He said this indicates that systemic issues such as racism and redlining — a discriminatory practice that denies financial services to people in high-minority neighborhoods, something that has contributed to the disproportionate placement of industrial facilities in communities of color — could influence the results.
The Environmental Working Group, an activist organization focused on environmental pollutants, has mapped the communities and military sites confirmed to be contaminated with PFAS
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The latest research builds on this Findings from 2023 It found that areas in 18 states with a higher proportion of Hispanic and black residents had higher levels of PFAS in their drinking water.
Another study by Silent Spring researchers also found that residents of Latin America are more likely to be exposed to higher levels of nitrate in their drinking water.
Exposure to the chemical can bind to hemoglobin in red blood cells and reduce their ability to carry oxygen, resulting in bluish skin, also known as blue baby syndrome, which is most common in infants under six months of age.
Some research also suggests a link with cancer, spontaneous abortion in pregnant women, thyroid dysfunction and heart problems.
Dr. Schaider said, “Ultimately, we must better protect source waters and reduce discharges of pollutants into water bodies that feed our drinking water supplies.”