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Over 97 million Americans have been exposed to toxic, unregulated contaminants in their drinking water that could harm their health, according to a new study that adds to growing concerns about the quality of US tap water.
The Environmental Protection Agency sets legal limits on over 90 contaminants in drinking water. In their new research, scientists at the nonprofit Silent Spring Institute found that 27% of the 4,800 public water systems it analyzed had detectable levels of at least one of four “harmful” kinds of chemicals not regulated by the EPA.
The chemicals Silent Spring highlighted are:
The industrial solvent 1,4-dioxane, a “likely” carcinogen that may cause severe kidney and liver damage and possibly even death with high levels of exposure
The colorless refrigerant gas chlorodifluoromethane (Freon 22), which can cause severe irritation, headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness and even death
The cleaning solvent and degreaser 1,1-dichloroethane, which may increase the risk of kidney and other cancers with chronic exposure
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” which have been linked to various health concerns, including a higher risk of certain cancers
Silent Spring crunched EPA data from 2013 to 2015 for its analysis. Study co-author Laurel Schaider, a Silent Spring senior scientist, told The Post that the EPA is doing another round of testing but that data is not available yet.
There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS — and current testing methods cannot detect all of them.
The EPA announced in April that it will begin regulating six types of PFAS in drinking water in 2029 to reduce exposure for 100 million people.
Silent Spring found that Hispanic and black Americans are at higher risk of exposure to contaminants in drinking water since they are more likely to live near pollution sources, such as wastewater treatment plants, airports, military training areas and industrial sites.
The study findings were published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
The research follows the identification of a mysterious, potentially toxic chemical byproduct found in treated drinking water consumed by millions of Americans.
How to reduce your exposure to PFAS in drinking water
If you’re concerned about the quality of your tap water, Schaider suggests contacting your local water utility or health department to see if your water has been tested for PFAS and other contaminants.
You can also treat your water at home with one of these two systems:
Granular activated carbon (GAC) or solid carbon block filters excel at removing long-chain PFAS (like PFOA and PFOS, the two most often found in water) but are less successful at capturing shorter-chain varieties, Schaider said.
Reverse osmosis is considered the most effective technology for removing a wide range of PFAS, including short-chain chemicals. However, it is the more expensive option and produces a significant amount of wastewater, Schaider added.
“When choosing a filtering system, look for one that is NSF P473-certified or meets the NSF/ANSI 53 standard for activated carbon filters and the NSF/ANSI 58 standard for reverse osmosis,” Schaider noted. “Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and replace the cartridges or membranes as recommended.”
Schaider said bottled water may not be a better option since many bottling companies source their water from municipal water supplies.
There is no federal requirement for them to test or treat their water for PFAS, so you may want to check with your state’s environment or health department to see if any testing was done.
