'Forever chemicals' could be in nearly half of U.S. tap water, a federal study finds

[Muhammed45]

'Forever chemicals' could be in nearly half of U.S. tap water, a federal study finds​

July 6, 20232:57 PM ET
By
Rachel Treisman

A study released by the U.S. Geological Survey on Wednesday estimates that at least 45% of U.S. tap water could be contaminated with at least one form of PFAS, which could have harmful health effects.
Rogelio V. Solis/AP
At least 45% of the nation's tap water could be contaminated with at least one form of PFAS known as "forever chemicals," according to a newly released study by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The man-made chemicals — of which there are thousands — are found in all sorts of places, from nonstick cookware to stain-resistant carpets to contaminated sources of food and water. They break down very slowly, building up in people, animals and the environment over time.
Research has linked exposure to certain PFAS to adverse health effects in humans, from an increased risk of certain cancers, increased obesity and high cholesterol risk, decreased fertility and developmental effects like low birth weight in children.

"This USGS study can help members of the public to understand their risk of exposure and inform policy and management decisions regarding testing and treatment options for drinking water," Kelly Smalling, a USGS research chemist who is the lead author of the new study released Wednesday, told NPR over email.

This study is the first to compare PFAS in tap water from both public and private supplies on a broad scale throughout the country, Smalling said.

This USGS map shows the number of PFAS detected in tap water samples from select sites across the nation.
USGS
It involved testing water samples from more than 700 locations across the country during a five-year period, and using that data to model and estimate PFAS contamination nationwide.
And it comes as the federal government is looking to create new regulations for toxins in drinking water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued drinking water health advisories for two of the most prevalent compounds — PFOA and PFOS — in June 2022, warning that they pose health risks even at levels so low that the government can't detect them.

USGS tested for 32 individual PFAS compounds, and said in a release that the EPA's recent advisories for PFOS and PFOA "were exceeded in every sample in which they were detected in this study."

While the USGS — which describes itself as an unbiased and impartial science organization — doesn't offer policy recommendations in its report, Smalling points to several key takeaways.
For one, she said, it highlights the importance of collecting PFAS data from private wells, which are monitored at homeowners' discretion and not regulated by the EPA the way that public sources are.

It also has implications for the general population.

What the study found​

Most state and federal monitoring programs typically measure exposure to PFAS and other pollutants at the water treatment plants or groundwater wells that supply them, Smalling said. Her team took a different approach.

"The USGS study specifically focused on collecting water directly from a homeowners tap where exposure actually occurs," she explained.

Between 2016 and 2021, scientists collected samples from 716 residences, businesses and drinking-water treatment plants from a range of protected, rural and urban areas across the U.S.
Of those, 447 rely on public supplies and 269 on private wells. The researchers found that PFAS concentrations were similar between the two.

Smalling said they observed the chemicals more frequently in samples collected near urban areas and potential PFAS sources like airports and wastewater treatment plants, which is in line with previous research.

USGS scientists estimate there's a 75% chance that PFAS will be found in urban areas and a 25% chance in rural areas. And the study suggests that exposure may be more common in certain geographical regions.

Read more

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/06/1186230007/drinking-water-forever-chemicals-pfas-study

 

[Muhammed45]

Imagine it, if this was a case in Iran.

All of US paid Persian-Speaking satellite channels and American funded internet websites were already managing a coup or a revolution in Iran because of contaminated water consumed by Iranian people.

Most important point is that Iranian society has a degree of freedom that a small problem easily gets exaggerated and people start talking about it 24/7.

In USA, on the other hand, the electoral dictatorship has designed a civilian structure that no protesting voice can be heard from USA.

The article is not talking about simple contamination, it is about forever chemicals that threatens infants, elderly, kids, young, youth, old, mid age and each and every American citizen.

But no one gives a shit in USA, neither can. They will be destroyed in a way that the dictatorship dealt with wall street protesters the (we are 99% protests).

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

But no one gives a shit in USA, neither can. They will be destroyed in a way that the dictatorship dealt with wall street protesters the (we are 99% protests).

You really mean nobody on the planet other than the US/EU gives a shit.

Rainwater is no longer safe to drink anywhere on Earth, scientists say

Scientists are calling for tighter restrictions on PFAS which persist in the environment for years.

www.euronews.com

Rainwater everywhere on Earth unsafe to drink due to ‘forever chemicals’, study finds​

 

[Muhammed45]

I know that you are in charge of this section of forum as a damage controller. But you really offended me by comparing the water inside the pipes consumed by common people with a water that comes from sky and is consumed by soil.

You could also make the acid rain which is a common phenomenon every where in the world an example to fool your audience.

You really mean nobody on the planet other than the US/EU gives a shit.

Rainwater is no longer safe to drink anywhere on Earth, scientists say

Scientists are calling for tighter restrictions on PFAS which persist in the environment for years.

www.euronews.com

Rainwater everywhere on Earth unsafe to drink due to ‘forever chemicals’, study finds​

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

I know that you are in charge of this section of forum as a damage controller. But you really offended me by comparing the water inside the pipes consumed by common people with a water that comes from sky and is consumed by soil.

You could also make the acid rain which is a common phenomenon every where in the world an example to fool your audience.

I have said multiple times that the US and the EU have knowingly offshored dangerous manufacturing industries. One of those is the ones responsible for the levels of PFOA and PFOS in our drinking water. PFOA was previously used in the formula for Teflon non-stick pans. The formula has since been adjusted in the US/EU to not use it anymore...however...

The Teflon Toxin Goes to China

When the U.S. phased out PFOA, long used to make Teflon, China's production and use of the toxic chemical soared.

theintercept.com

...Directly translated from Chinese, the word “Xiaoqing” means “clean and clear.” But here in Cuijia, the water is neither. From the bridge, you can see debris and garbage swirling atop the forceful rush of brown. Occasionally, bits of plastic and something that looks like Styrofoam float by. But what may be most dangerous in the Xiaoqing River isn’t visible: perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, long used by DuPont in the production of Teflon, among other products, and linked to cancer and other diseases. Because Cuijia lies downstream from a factory that emits more PFOA than any other industrial facility in the world, levels of the chemical at various points near here are among the highest ever reported, reaching more than 500 times the safety level the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently set for drinking water.

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