Nearly two million Australians could have been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals found in their tap water, a major investigation has revealed.
It comes amid growing fears about the long-term effects of so-called ‘forever chemicals’ that can linger in the human body for a lifetime.
Over the past six months, the World Health Organization has concluded that the perennial chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is carcinogenic to humans, while the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency found that there are no safe levels of PFOA or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in water.
But PFOA, which experts believe causes cancer, is currently allowed in Australia’s drinking water at levels 140 times higher than the maximum level the US will allow.
A major study conducted by the Sydney Morning Herald, found that the chemicals have been found in tap water in every state and territory in the country since 2010, affecting up to 1.8 million people.
Nearly two million Aussies could have been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals found in their tap water, a major study has revealed
A major investigation conducted by the Sydney Morning Herald found the chemicals were found in tap water in every state and territory across the country, affecting up to 1.8 million people (photo: North Richmond Water Filtration plant where chemicals were detected in January forever)
The study, which analyzed the latter publicly available data from 2011 and more recent studies found the Chemicals were found in tap water in the Sydney suburbs of North Richmond, Quakers Hill, Liverpool, Blacktown, Emu Plains and Campbelltown.
They were also found in other parts of NSW including Newcastle, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga and Jervis Bay – the latter as recently as October last year.
The pollutants were discovered in Canberra, parts of inner-city Melbourne, inner-city Adelaide, Cairns and Gladstone in Queensland, suburbs of Hobart and parts of the Northern Territory.
While the last public surveys were conducted more than a decade ago, several water suppliers have conducted their own tests in recent years.
Alarmingly, these studies found that the chemicals are still present in some of the same locations, sometimes in even higher concentrations.
One of the most worrying figures occurred in 2020 on the popular tourist destination Norfolk Island, 1,600 kilometers northeast of Sydney, where chemicals were detected at 635 times Australia’s safe limit and thousands of times the US enforceable limit.
The now decommissioned water bore where the contaminants were found supplied the hospital, fire station and public toilets.
Others involving measurements where the water supply was subsequently taken out of use included the Queensland towns of Ayr, Bundaberg and Macknade.
They have also been found in other parts of NSW including Newcastle, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga and Jervis Bay (pictured) – the latter only last October
In the US, the maximum limits for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water are four parts per trillion, while in Australia guidelines allow 560 parts per trillion PFOA and 70 parts per trillion PFOS.
All 23 affected Australian drinking water companies told the Sydney Morning Herald that their water is safe because the levels detected are within Australian drinking water guidelines.
But Dr. Nicholas Chartres, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney’s faculty of medicine and health, said people in Australia were as at risk as those in the US.
“Physiologically speaking, we are no different,” Dr. Chartres told the newspaper.
“We should be concerned that we may be exposed to these health effects.”
Dr. Chartes called on the Australian government to bring the country into compliance with new US regulations.
Meanwhile, Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith, a toxic chemicals campaigner who has served on United Nations expert committees, branded Australia’s perpetual chemical borders a “national disgrace”.
Anthony Amis, of Friends of the Earth, has been analyzing the spread of forever chemicals for years.
All 23 affected Australian drinking water companies told the Sydney Morning Herald their water is safe because the levels detected are within Australian drinking water guidelines (stock image)
“Some communities may have been drinking PFAS at dangerous levels for years, and possibly decades,” Mr. Amis said.
“How come people have been exposed at these levels without regulators knowing until recently?”
PFOS was only discovered in North Richmond in January. It is the only location where Sydney Water regularly tests for PFOS.
But a spokesperson for Sydney Water said there are no known PFAS hotspots in the drinking water catchment areas.
“Sydney Water regularly consults with WaterNSW, our raw water supplier, and NSW Health to assess any potential risk from PFAS to Sydney’s drinking water supply,” they said.
The National Health and Medical Research Council, which develops Australia’s drinking water guidelines, is reviewing its recommendations for PFAS in the wake of the US decision to lower permitted levels.
“The independent review will take into account recent guidance and assessments from international and national jurisdictions and determine whether these are appropriate to adopt or adapt for Australia,” a Department of Health spokesperson said.
Forever chemicals became ubiquitous since their development in the 1940s, making jackets waterproof, carpets stain-resistant, non-stick frying pans and used in firefighting foam.
In 2023, manufacturing multinational 3M reached a $10.3 billion settlement with U.S. public water bodies, despite more than 4,000 lawsuits filed against 3M and other chemical companies.