Chances are you have 'forever chemicals' in your blood. See PFAS levels in your Florida city
Water. "Forever chemicals."
Those are words you generally don't want to see together.
For 42 million Americans, it hits home.
Water coming from their faucets is contaminated with unacceptable levels of 'forever chemicals,' according to a USA TODAY analysis of records the Environmental Protection Agency released on June 2.
Studies have shown the chemicals can accumulate in our bodies, leading to certain cancers and other health complications.
What's even worse is that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS, are a family of manmade chemicals engineered to be nearly indestructible.
Here's what you should know, including how to find out if any of the forever chemicals are in your water and how you can limit some exposure to PFAS.
Over the past two years, the EPA has collected complete sets of test results from about 6,900 drinking water systems, with thousands more expected as the PFAS testing initiative continues another year.
USA TODAY's analysis of these systems with complete results shows nearly a quarter of large water utilities serving at least 100,000 customers exceeded limits the EPA approved last year on two chemicals: PFOS and PFOA.
According to a 2020 study published in "Science" by the Environmental Working Group, an estimated 200 million Americans are served by water systems that contain PFAS.
"And it's not just public systems; a 2023 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found approximately 20% of private wells are contaminated."
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, abbreviated as PFAS and known as forever chemicals, have been around since the 1950s.
They're used in many products, from cosmetics to nonstick cookware. PFAS are used in the aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics industries. Over time, PFAS may leak into the soil, water, and air, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
"PFAS molecules have a chain of linked carbon and fluorine atoms. Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest, these chemicals do not degrade easily in the environment," according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
They can last for thousands of years, according to Carsten Prasee, assistant professor in Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins.
'We estimate there are more than 12,000 individual PFAS compounds, and unfortunately for most of them, we have basically no understanding about toxicity."
The most common method of destroying PFAS is incineration, but some studies indicate this fails to eliminate all the chemicals, and instead releases the remaining pollution into the air, according to Johns Hopkins.
"In water treatment systems, the main methods for destroying PFAS are reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and ion-exchange resins — but these technologies are costly."
PFAS are synthetic compounds that "are an unseen ingredient in many items that we use in our daily lives, like cleaning products, food packaging, nonstick cookware, cosmetics, personal care items like dental floss, water-repellent clothing, as well as stain-resistant carpets and upholstery," according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
'Unfortunately, PFAS are also present in biosolids which are used as agricultural fertilizer,' creating a pathway from contaminated soil to produce in the grocery store."
"When items containing PFAS inevitably reach landfills, the compounds leach into the environment. And every day, people flush PFA-laden products — like shampoo, cleaning liquids, even some toilet papers — down the drain."
"People are most likely exposed to these chemicals by consuming PFAS-contaminated water or food, using products made with PFAS, or breathing air containing PFAS," according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
"Because PFAS break down slowly, if at all, people and animals are repeatedly exposed to them, and blood levels of some PFAS can build up over time."
An estimated 98% of the U.S. population has detectable concentrations in their blood, according to Johns Hopkins.
The Centers for Disease Control said 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood.
Research has said there are possible links between human exposures to certain PFAS and some adverse health outcomes, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. These health effects include:
Reduced ability of the immune system to fight infections.
Altered metabolism and body weight regulation, and risk of childhood obesity.
Increased risk of some cancers.
Other health problems linked to PFAS listed by the Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control include:
Delay of puberty in girls
Decrease in bone mineral density
Type 2 diabetes in women
Increased risk for thyroid cancer
Liver damage
Increases in cholesterol levels
Lower antibody response to some vaccines
Pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia
Small decreases in birth weight
Kidney and testicular cancer
Prasse and other experts recommend a variety of actions to minimize exposure to PFAS:
Avoid using nonstick cookware.
Limit use of food packaging, such as grease-resistant takeout containers.
Filter your water at the tap, with pitchers that are certified for PFAS.
Avoid wearing water-resistant textiles.
Seek out PFAS-free retailers' products — including menstrual products and large items like carpets or furniture.
Some products that may contain PFAS include:
Stain-resistant carpets, upholstery, and other fabrics.
Water-resistant clothing.
Cleaning products.
Personal care products and cosmetics (such as shampoo, dental floss, nail polish, and eye makeup).
Paints, varnishes, and sealants.
USA TODAY found 774 systems don't meet the limits for forever chemicals. These utilities will likely need to install advanced filtration systems or find alternative sources of drinking water by 2031.
The deadline for systems to meet the water standards was originally set for 2029, but in May, the EPA proposed an extension and announced it intends to rescind limits on four other types of PFAS set under the Biden administration in 2024.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the delay was to provide 'common-sense flexibility' to 'support water systems across the country, including small systems in rural communities, as they work to address these contaminants.'
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 'Forever chemicals', PFAS contaminate US, Florida drinking water
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