Health
Survey: Drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals
The USGS tested for 32 types of these chemicals in water samples from more than 700 locations across the nation over five years
July 7, 2023 8:16am
Updated: July 7, 2023 8:16am
Water from nearly half of the faucets in the United States likely contains harmful “forever chemicals” that can lead to cancer and other health problems, according to a new study released on Wednesday.
The “forever chemicals” are a synthetic compound collectively known as PFAS that are found to varying extents in the drinking water of several sites throughout the country, both in private wells and government-supplied water, according to the study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). They are called forever chemicals because they break down very slowly.
The research found that at least 45% of all U.S. tap water is contaminated with PFAS, which can cause adverse health effects in humans and animals, including a high risk of cancer, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, and liver damage, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"Millions of people have been drinking a toxic forever chemical linked to cancer all their lives and are only discovering it today," the senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, Scott Faber, told the https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/07/06/tap-water-forever-chemicals-pfas/
The study released this week builds on previous scientific work that found that the chemicals can be found in several objects that come in contact with PFAS-contaminated water. The study is the first attempt to test for PFAS in tap water across the nation.
As part of the research, the USGS tested for 32 types of these chemicals in water samples from more than 700 locations across the nation over five years.
"USGS scientists tested water collected directly from people’s kitchen sinks across the nation, providing the most comprehensive study to date on PFAS in tap water from both private wells and public supplies," said USGS research hydrologist and the study’s lead author, Kelly Smalling in a statement.
USGS said that there is still more work to be done to completely understand the health effects of PFAS over long periods of time. However, hopefully, the study can inform members of the public and policy and management decisions regarding treatment options for drinking water.
