Nearly Half of Water Samples Contain PFAS
Midjourney
The PFAS Problem: Yoga pants, cookware, paint, pizza boxes — the number of places where per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are found is already staggering. Unfortunately, they’re also in our tap water. Communities with PFAS-contaminated drinking water have up to a 33% higher incidence of some cancers, according to a University of Southern California study.
The Study: Researchers looked at cancer-incidence data from 2016 through 2021 for counties across the country, accounting for nearly half of the U.S. population. They compared that to data from public water records on PFAS contamination. Counties with contaminated water had higher incidences of liver, colon, oral, thyroid, lung, and other types of cancers.
The Takeaway: This study adds to the growing body of research that “forever chemicals” pose serious health risks. PFAS have been found in 45% of drinking water across the U.S. Using reverse osmosis or activated charcoal water filters can significantly reduce PFAS in drinking water.
Keep In Mind: As its authors point out, this was an ecological study done on the county level. Researchers had data on residents’ age and sex, but they couldn’t control for unknown factors, including individual health information and other specifics for each cancer type.
