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Men's Journal

New Study Warns Half of All U.S. Tap Water Contains Cancer-Causing 'Forever Chemicals'

Chris Malone Méndez
2 min read

A new study from the U.S. Geological Survey contains some troubling information about the water we drink. The report concluded that almost half of the tap water in the country is contaminated with harmful "forever chemicals" linked to a number of health problems Americans face.

The scientists collected water samples directly from taps at 716 locations, including both private wells and public sources, between 2016 and 2021. Using the information gathered, they estimate that at least 45 percent of U.S. drinking water contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.

Commonly referred to as forever chemicals, PFAS have been tied to ailments including cancer, obesity, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, liver damage, and hormone suppression, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The National Institutes of Health claims there are more than 12,000 types of PFAS in total. Only 32 of those compounds were able to be detected by the Geological Survey's lab tests.

Related: Best Whole House Water Filters of 2021

Most of the contamination found in the study came from water sources near urban areas and in areas that generated PFAS like manufacturing sites that use the chemicals in their products or places where waste was collected. The highest concentrations of PFAS in drinking water were found in the Great Plains, the Great Lakes, the Eastern Seaboard, and in central and southern California.

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Up until now, there wasn't much information on just how much PFAS are in residential tap water. The new study, then, is the most comprehensive to date that includes findings from both private and public water sources. It comes a year after the EPA issued health advisories warning that the chemicals are more dangerous to human health than scientists first thought—so much so that they are probably hazardous at levels even thousands of times lower than previously believed.

It may be time to start using a water filter at home if you haven't already, although make sure it's rated for PFAS.

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