There has been a lot of talk recently about what are sometimes referred to as forever chemicals or PFAS and how they might be impacting us on a daily basis.
PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time and recent research has found them in water, protein sources and soil all over the world.
Scientists from the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimate PFAS pollution current in drinking water affects more than 130 million Americans.
The EWG adds Government data has confirmed the chemicals have tainted the water supply at 7,457 locations across the U.S.
A senior scientist at EWG, Tasha Stoiber said the most recent round of national testing shows millions of people’s drinking water is now contaminated with these chemicals in an interview.
Stoiber said the EWG is concerned that even at low levels, these chemicals can impact the body’s immune system, hormones and the thyroid.
“PFAS can reduce your body’s immune system response to vaccinations, and the body won’t produce the necessary antibody response that is associated with higher levels of PFAS in your body,” she added.
Stoiber told me if people are concerned about whether their drinking water could be contaminated, they should check the EWG’s online map and database, which shows instances around the country.
She added drinking water filters are one of the best ways to reduce that exposure, provided they are carbon-based and/or based on reverse osmosis technology.
Stoiber said PFAS can also be found in many household products, which people should also be more aware of.
“It is difficult to not buy products that have PFAs in them, but more and more companies are making commitments to stop using them.
“But individuals cannot solve this problem by themselves, it has to come from the top down into phasing out all non-essential uses of PFAS,” she added.
Elizabeth Bechard, a senior policy analyst at the advocacy group Moms Clean Air Force said the EWG data shows incidences of PFAS contaminated drinking water are now across “virtually the entire country” in an interview.
Bechard said states like Michigan and North Carolina have particularly heavy contamination levels, although that could be due to the fact they are doing more testing than some other states.
“The data that we have so far suggests a high percentage of the population in the U.S. and around the world are drinking water that is contaminated with PFAS,” she told me.
She said there are number of different health impacts, which have been linked to exposure to PFAS.
In terms of limiting exposure of protecting those who are especially vulnerable, like children and the elderly, Bechard said “we cannot shop our way out of this problem”.
“In order to solve this, we need systemic action in a major way. We need different infrastructure. We need stronger we need remediation.
“And we really need more research to understand sort of the levels of risk.”
In April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new standards for regulating six PFAS in drinking water.
The new rules requires public water systems to complete initial monitoring for PFAS by 2027.
Riggs Eckelberry, co-founder of water technology company OriginClear said forever chemicals are now so widespread in tap water that more decentralised water treatment is needed to tackle the situation in an interview.
Because capital is needed to make this happen, OriginClear developed its Water on Demand subsidiary, a platform that allows investors to fund water filtration systems for communities all over the country, while also enjoying returns.
Eckelberry told me industrial and agricultural users should install their own water treatment systems, which will help relieve the pressure on utility companies and their filtration facilities.
He quoted figures from the American Society of Civil Engineers, which show in 2024 alone, the projected gap between water infrastructure needs and spending in the United States will be $91 billion and by 2043, the cumulative gap will be over $2 trillion.
“You have to now take precautions at home because the cities are just not filtering these chemicals out,” said Eckelberry.
“And because industrial and agricultural users represent 90% of the usage in the wastewater system, if they took care of the issue locally, then all the strain would go away, and you would not have people downstream being polluted by it.
“A more distributed model is modern, and it works far better,” he said. “Industrial and agricultural users will do better financially with their own filtration system.”
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