More than 70 million Americans drink tap water that contains toxic “forever chemicals” linked to cancer, official data shows.
These microscopic man-made chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), can take thousands of years to break down in the environment or in the human body, hence the name “forever chemicals.”
They have been linked to several lasting health problems, including several types of cancer, hormone disruption and liver damage, and the health problems they cause quietly cost the healthcare system $250 billion a year.
The new results found that PFAS was present in 33 percent of systems tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – with contamination most common in densely populated coastal cities.
More than 70 million Americans have drinking water that has tested positive for toxic ‘forever chemicals’, research shows
PFAS is a common contaminant in many household items, from cookware to hamburger wrappers. It can remain in the environment and in human tissue for years, even decades, before being cleared
The EPA released data on Feb. 1 that reflects tests conducted in 2023 at 3,700 water systems across the country, accounting for a third of the public water supply.
The results were then extrapolated and applied to population figures in an analysis by the activist organization Environment Working Group (EWG).
“The full scale of PFAS contamination is likely much more widespread,” an EWG spokesperson said, as the report provides only a snapshot of the situation in the US.
The hardest hit areas are along the East Coast, including New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
The main purpose of PFAS compounds is to repel water and oil, which is what makes nonstick cookware so much easier to clean and why certain jackets and tents can withstand rain.
Simply washing dishes can introduce PFAS into the water supply. The substances can also end up in our food if the packaging is made grease-resistant – think of fast-food cheeseburgers – or if the non-stick coating of pots and pans starts to deteriorate.
PFAS are also common in pesticides used to feed crops.
This produces chemical-rich runoff that can enter the drinking water supply.
In March 2023, the EPA proposed the first federal limits for PFAS in drinking water.
The agency said water should contain no more than four parts per trillion, for PFOA and PFOS, which is the detection limit for both chemicals.
Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs, said, “There are many more steps we need to take to reduce PFAS pollution, including ending nonessential uses of PFAS, ending industrial discharges of PFAS into the air and water, cleaning up legacies of PFAS pollution and properly disposing of PFAS waste.”
About 270 million Americans rely on public wells for their drinking water, while another 40 million use private wells, and all could be affected.
The situation appears even more dire at the local level, with certain cities and neighborhoods’ drinking water sources showing levels of PFAS far higher than what the EPA considers safe.
The problem has received increasing attention in recent years, partly due to increased media attention and evolving testing methods that can detect the chemicals at low concentrations in the environment and in humans.
And a growing number of studies on the effects of PFAS exposure have highlighted the fact that even low concentrations of the chemicals can be toxic.
Unfortunately, they can be found almost everywhere, from nonstick cookware, fast food packaging and popcorn bags and stain removers to cosmetics and firefighting foam.
‘Forever chemicals’ are so called because they break down incredibly slowly in the environment and can remain in the body for decades or even longer before being cleared.
Some variants of PFAS have been shown to do this increase in LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol levels which contributes to the build-up of plaque in the arteries, slowly blocking blood flow in the arteries, significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.
Long-term exposure to PFAS – which is not outside the realm of possibility given its constant presence in homes – can seriously damage the liver.
US government researchers concluded in 2022 that when humans and rodents were exposed to the three common varieties of PFAS, they showed increased levels of an enzyme called ALT, a marker of liver damage, in the blood.
PFAS also disrupts the delicate hormone balance that has profound effects on our mental and physical health. This includes sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, which, when tampered with, can affect reproductive health and fertility.
Women exposed to PFAS during pregnancy are at higher risk for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, a form of high blood pressure. Babies exposed to the chemicals in the womb have now run out higher risk of low birth weight and an increased risk of childhood obesity and infections in the future.
The disruption of normal hormone regulation can also lead to serious damage to the thyroid gland.
There is also evidence that exposure over a long period of time can do this contribute to the risk of cancerespecially in the kidneys and testicles.