A study published in the journal Science explains that millions of Americans are exposed to contaminants through their tap water.
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals used in a variety of products, cookware, paints, fabrics, and other items, do not break down easily and are linked to health concerns such as cancer.
PFAS, sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals,” may be present in up to 95 million Americans’ tap water.
Scientists collected PFAS samples from three well networks to assess their occurrence in groundwater. Out of the 24 PFAS analyzed, at least one was detected in 37% of the samples.
Forty-two percent of public water supplies assessed contained PFAS. Seventeen percent of the domestic wells assessed contained the “forever chemicals.”
“The higher detection frequencies found for observation wells may be because the wells are typically shallower than other well types,” the study explains, “as they were designed to monitor shallow water in agricultural and urban land use settings.”
Removing the chemicals from drinking water is “expensive and can be particularly cost-prohibitive for low-income communities, which has impeded progress toward clean drinking water supplies,” the study says, adding that “domestic well owners often do not test or treat their water and may therefore be more susceptible to local groundwater PFAS contamination.”
“The footprint of PFAS occurrence at the depth of public and domestic water supply may continue to expand as groundwater is recharged to aquifers and migrates downward over time, given the extensive PFAS contamination reported in air, rain, and soil, among many other sources,” the study concluded. “Awareness and regular monitoring of PFAS coupled with appropriate drinking water treatment will help reduce human exposure from drinking water sources.”
2023 research from U.S. Geological Survey found that at least 45% of tap water in the United States is contaminated with “forever chemicals.”
“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,” USGS research hydrologist Kelly Smalling said in a statement. “The study estimates that at least one type of PFAS – of those that were monitored – could be present in nearly half of the tap water in the U.S. Furthermore, PFAS concentrations were similar between public supplies and private wells.”
