According to a recently released study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), nearly half of the tap water in the United States contains toxic “forever chemicals.”
These chemicals, known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water.
Alarmingly, this toxic stew has been detected in at least 45 percent of the country’s tap water samples. The study, which relied on modeling based on samples collected from 716 locations across the nation over several years, highlighted that urban areas face a higher risk of PFAS contamination compared to rural regions.
The research findings indicated that approximately 70 percent of urban areas or locations with a known history of PFAS chemical contamination showed the presence of these toxins, while only 8 percent of rural areas exhibited such contamination. The study also identified specific regions where PFAS contamination appears to be more prevalent, including the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central and Southern California.
Lead author of the study, Kelly Smalling, a USGS Research Hydrologist, expressed that the pervasiveness of PFAS is a growing concern. However, she noted that the study also offered a glimmer of hope by revealing extensive areas where PFAS contamination was not detected.
Smalling stated, “What this study has shown us is that even though it’s estimating that 45 percent of U.S. taps could have at least one PFAS, we also show that there are huge swaths of the country where PFAS was not detected, and I think that’s good news.”
PFAS refers to a group of thousands of substances that persist in the human body and the environment. Exposure to these chemicals has been associated with health problems such as kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol.
In response to the concerning findings, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken some measures to address the issue, including proposing national drinking water limits for two of the most well-known PFAS types, namely PFOA and PFOS, in March.
The USGS study revealed that PFOS was present in 14 percent of the water samples analyzed. However, Smalling emphasized that this percentage does not necessarily correspond to 14 percent of taps in the country. Additionally, she highlighted that 48 percent of the samples containing PFOA had levels exceeding the EPA’s proposed limit.
Smalling hailed the study as the most comprehensive examination of PFAS contamination in tap water across the United States. The study concluded that urban areas and locations near potential PFAS sources, such as industrial or waste sites, are more likely to have higher levels of PFAS.
It also suggested that drinking water exposures may be more common in the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central and Southern California regions.
In an effort to address the risk of PFAS chemicals in consumer products, the EPA has proposed a federal rule requiring companies to disclose whether their products contain these chemicals. Compliance with this rule is estimated to cost the chemical and semiconductor industries around $1 billion annually, although these sectors generate approximately $500 billion per year.
The release of this study coincides with the announcement by Battelle, a scientific nonprofit research institute, about its successful development of a technology that employs a supercritical water oxidation process to distill water into PFAS concentrate for destruction.
The process results in harmless water and salts that do not impact the environment. Battelle’s technology is currently being utilized in a reconfigured water treatment plant in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is considered the first permitted PFAS remediation facility in North America.
At the plant, a PFAS annihilator housed inside a converted cargo container subjects the PFAS concentrate to intense heat and pressure, effectively destroying it within seconds. The plant is presently capable of treating half a million gallons of water per week.
Battelle program manager, Amy Dindal, expressed optimism about the scalability of the technology, stating, “It can be much more scalable, much larger than this.”
The study’s revelations serve as a stark reminder of the widespread presence of PFAS chemicals in the nation’s tap water and highlight the urgent need for continued research, regulation, and innovative solutions to tackle this persistent issue.
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