There’s a growing health concern in the United States and it has to do with the drinking water. Scientists have found that potentially toxic “forever chemicals” are finding their way into the tap water that millions of Americans drink every day and the wastewater treatment systems currently in use aren’t equipped to remove these forms of contaminants. A new report suggests that climate change is exacerbating the situation and research is being conducted into the effects of the chemicals on people’s wellbeing.
“Forever chemicals” are finding their way into the drinking water
The term “forever chemicals” is applied to those that remain in the environment and people’s bodies for a long time without breaking down. There are a huge number of these kinds of chemicals—almost 15,000, in fact—and it’s believed that they’re finding their way into the water mainly through pharmaceuticals. These chemicals are collectively known as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
PFAS have been used in a range of consumer products since the 1950s. The qualities that make them attractive are their ability to resist oil, water, heat, and grease. Some of their applications include making clothing waterproof, pans non-stick, and carpets stain-resistant.
PFAS have been linked to health conditions and they’re almost impossible to eliminate
However, like many supposed “wonder products” from decades ago, there’s been a price to pay for their non-degradable nature. PFAS have been linked to a range of health problems, including thyroid complications, infertility conditions, and some forms of cancer.
There are a number of ways that people can be exposed to PFAS, but ingesting water is one of the most common. A study conducted in 2023 found that almost half the tap water in the U.S. is contaminated with PFAS. Scientists sampled water from eight wastewater plants across the country, all of a similar size and using similar systems to the majority of the plants serving the American public.
Millions of people ingest non-degradable chemicals every day
Unfortunately, even by employing advanced treatment techniques, scientists found non-degradable chemicals and compounds able to break down into them were being discharged into the environment where they reenter the drinking water supply. The study suggests that roughly 23 million people in the U.S. could be regularly exposed to PFAS from wastewater alone.
Bridger Ruyle, an environmental engineering scientist at NYU, admitted that there are gaps in experts’ understanding of forever chemicals:
“We’re identifying really large amounts of chemicals that we know very little about.”
In more medical news, the Medicare payment system is to be reformed in 2025. The changes include increases in costs to problems with Medicare Advantage plans that will affect millions of Americans.
Climate change is making the PFAS situation worse
One of the conditions caused by climate change is the shrinking of water sources, meaning that treated wastewater makes up an increasingly large portion of drinking water supplies. While lakes and rivers shrink during times of drought, the amount of wastewater produced by human activities doesn’t.
Wastewater management plants receive PFAS-contaminated water from homes and industrial operations. Climate change means there is less natural water to dilute the chemicals in wastewater before it’s utilized by drinking water plants. Around half of the water plants in the U.S. are downstream from at least one notable industrial installation.
Experts say a lot more research is needed
Ruyle says that a lot more research is needed to investigate the effects of PFAS and how to limit their harm:
“There is a really large universe of PFAS that are much more prevalent, that are being found at these major sources, (and) we need to get an understanding of what their own health risks are.”
There are ways that the average person can protect themselves from forever chemicals, such as filtering all tap water before drinking or using it for food perparation, but experts say the best solution is to stop PFAS entering the environment in the first place. According to Ruyle:
“We need to address the problem at the source rather than installing even more advanced, more expensive, more resource-intensive technologies at drinking water utilities or asking people to buy specialized home treatment systems.”
In more news about ways that scientists are trying to combat climates change, scientists are developing a way to extract hydrogen and oxygen from seawater while leaving the salt behind. This solves one of the biggest challenges encountered to date, and the potential is exciting if the technology is scalable.