A new study of water samples in the United States has revealed that contamination of drinking water with so-called man-made “forever chemicals,” linked to a variety of health problems, is much more serious than previously estimated, and has been reported. reached some of the highest levels found in Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans.
The new study, organized by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), included testing of tap water samples from 44 locations in 31 states.
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, are a class of synthetic compounds used in a variety of industrial processes and found in dozens of household items.
Previous studies have linked PFAS to a variety of health problems, including cancer and high cholesterol. Research suggests that PFAS compounds may disrupt fetal development and depress vaccine efficacy.
“These compounds don’t break down,” said Sydney Evans, EWG science analyst. “Once they’re there, they’re there forever. That’s why we call them ‘forever chemicals’. And they are toxic at very low levels for long periods of time.”
The latest research suggests that these chemicals are also building up in drinking water sources in cities across the United States.
The Environmental Working Group’s findings show that the group’s previous estimate in 2018 of 110 million Americans affected would be too low.
“It’s nearly impossible to avoid drinking water contaminated with these chemicals,” said David Andrews, EWG principal scientist and co-author of the report.
These chemicals are used in the manufacture of products such as Teflon or Scotchguard and in fire fighting foam. Some are used in other industrial products and processes, and their substitution also poses risks.
Of tap water samples taken by EWG from 44 locations in 31 states and the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, only one location, Meridian, Mississippi, which has 215-meter-deep wells, had no PFA. detectable. Only Seattle and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, had levels below 1 part per billion (PPT), the limit the EWG recommends.
In addition, EWG determined that on average six or seven PFA compounds were found at the sites examined, and the health effects of the mixtures are poorly understood. “Everyone is really exposed to a toxic soup of these PFA chemicals,” Andrews said.
Under pressure from the EPA, major chemical companies like Dupont stopped making the two most infamous PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS, but research suggests many other PFAS compounds, including compounds designed to be safe replacements: PFOA and PFOS. They are equally toxic.
