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Chemical contamination in tap water in the United States is putting its citizens under the risk of health ailments like cancer, low birth weight and thyroid disease. A national study released on Tuesday, from the U.S. Geological Survey(USGS) shows that nearly half of the tap water in US is contaminated with at least one type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, or PFAS.
What are PFAS?
PFAS are chemicals which are used in food wrappers, umbrellas, tents, carpets and firefighting foam for their nonstick qualities. These chemicals don’t break down easily — a quality which has earned them the nickname “forever chemicals.” According to U.S. Geological Survey, there are more than 12,000 types of PFAS. Some PFAS have been found to stick around in the human body for years, if not decades. Some varieties of PFAS accumulate in soil or water, creating a continuous source of exposure.
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Details about the national study released on Tuesday
According to USA TODAY, Kelly Smalling, the study’s lead author and research hydrologist claims that the survey is the first comprehensive study of its kind which warns average consumers about the risks of PFAS when they drink a glass of tap water in their kitchen.
“It kind of begins to give private users information on some of the exposure risks,” said Smalling.
Smalling informed that as per the study, concentrations of PFAS were similar between “public supplies and private wells”.
The study’s results show that people in urban areas are most at risk while the ones living in rural areas are less at risk.
“PFAS persistence in the environment and prevalence across the country make them a unique water-quality concern,” reads the USGS’s report.
According to the study, PFAS were more frequently found in urban areas, especially in the “Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central and Southern California.” PFAS were also commonly found in private wells in regions that are already known as PFA sources.
Scientists from USGS estimate that there is a 75% likelihood of PFAS being detected in water in urban areas while for the rural areas, there is 25% chance of the chemicals being found in water.
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