Posted on 07/08/2023 7:27:22 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
"Forever chemicals" are widespread in the environment, and new research finds they can be detected in about 45% of U.S. tap water samples.
The chemicals are per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, and their spread through drinking water—both tap and well—may be even higher because researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) were unable to test for all of them, CNN reported.
These synthetic substances have been linked to a variety of health issues, including cancer, liver damage, hormone suppression, decreased fertility, obesity, high cholesterol and thyroid disease.
To gauge the impact on drinking water, a team used water samples collected between 2016 and 2021 from 269 private wells and 447 public sources.
Their models suggest 45% of U.S. drinking water samples have at least one PFAS chemical. Lab tests developed by the USGS can also test for 32 compounds out of the 12,000 that exist.
"I don't think people should be afraid, but they should be aware and [arm] themselves with knowledge so that they can get information that will help them to make decisions," DeWitt said.
People can use a carbon filter on their drinking water. It will need to be changed regularly. Costly reverse osmosis filtering systems can also help, CNN reported.
Researchers found most contamination was from water sources near urban areas where PFAS chemicals were used or where waste was collected.
The Great Plains, the Great Lakes, the Eastern Seaboard and Central/Southern California had the highest PFAS concentrations in their water.
These chemicals are dangerous even at much lower levels than scientists previously knew, the EPA said in June 2022.
They are used in hundreds of household items, including carpets, clothing, dental floss, vehicles and food packaging for the purpose of stain resistance and keeping things from sticking. They can be found in foods.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Thank goodness we are on well water.
Have family that is on city water...but, they have the pre-filters and RO, thankfully.
water treatment plants in our area have filters
;-)
Sure, they do.
Not to remove this stuff, I would bet.
RO is probably the only way to remove. If even that.
Actually they do...and are suing the companies that get these chems into the waterways and wind up in the system.
Thanks....lucky for your area!
Hope the thresholds don’t change.
A very pricey expenditure, for sure.
Depends on if the Water Treatment Plant is a Conventional Floculation/Media Filters/Disinfection or if it’s a Membrane Filter/Disinfection Plant.
tapwater is contaminated with lots more than that, starting with floculation chemicals like potassium aluminum sulfate,, ph-balancing chemicals, potassium permanganate, and chorline gas,all deliberately added during “purification” ...
and if you live along the eastern seaboard in a large city, you’re basically just drinking recycled sewage anyway excepting for a very few cities like New York City, because upstream of each city’s river intake is the river outfall of the upstream city’s sewer plant ...
best to run your tapwater through a multistage, undersink RO system if you don’t want to have to haul in bulk quantities of purchased RO or springwater ... most municipal tapwater is nasty stuff ...
“Does Reverse Osmosis get rid of this stuff?”
it should, given that RO will remove even small molecules of dissolved minerals ...
“water treatment plants in our area have filters”
the “filters” in almost all large municipal filtration plants are nothing more than large beds of sand ... the addition of a large variety of chemicals is used to take care of everything else not filtered out by the sand ...
muni tapwater is nasty stuff ... it won’t kill you though, at least not right away ...
btw, i studied water purification in college as well as an elected city councilman ...
You do have some of these substances getting through:
Do they even bother to mention all of the artificial hormones be put into the water supply by women on the pill? Didn’t think so.
I knew it! Water is making me fat. Guess I’ll have to switch back to beer. 🙁
Hmmm
I don’t like peas...
Dihydrogen monoxide. Scary stuff indeed. Fortunately, much research into the problem is under way.
Nothing like ringing a fire bell for the whole country and giving us no data on where or what. Hallmark of a gas lighting hit piece.
Its healthier for you according to this story.
Ive been watching some Yuuztube about Sterling Hayden who played our beloved General Jack Ripper. Amazing man. Silver Star in the OSS in WWII. He said he hated chomping on the cigars in Strangelove but it was essential for the character.
I would have followed Jack Ripper thru the gates of hell !
Your solution is what....Webster folks go down to the Lake with a bucket? The water is potable and I believe it meets Federal Guidelines.
Go after the folks who are dumping the chemicals.
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