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PFAS may be contaminating drinking water for up to 27% of Americans – study (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world
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Summary

A US Geological Survey study estimates PFAS chemicals may contaminate drinking water for up to 70% of the 140 million Americans using aquifers, affecting around 95 million people.

Some groundwater readings were up to 37,000 times the EPA’s new limits. Private wells and small public wells, which serve 13% of the population, lack strict EPA PFAS regulations, making them especially vulnerable.

Contamination is most severe near military bases, airports, and industrial sites, with high exposure in Michigan, Florida, and California.

The USGS also produced an interactive map that shows where there may be trouble.

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[-] Fuzzy_Red_Panda@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

Add it to the pile of man-made horrors that are going to kill us all.

PFAS is toxic and gets into everything forever -- including our bodies -- but governments have no real plans to stop using it. Hell, you can buy as much PFAS as you want on Amazon right now, no restrictions.

[-] 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works 46 points 2 days ago

Just get rid of the regulations. Now 0% of the water has failed testing! 100% safe!

[-] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

"If you don't test, the numbers go down" - Trump

[-] 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works 1 points 20 hours ago

"I had the best water quality results in history, i really did... They were tremendous!"

[-] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Nah, see it's a good thing. Like a teflon cooking pan, having PFAS in your drinking water just helps lubricate your organs! This means as you move around, your internal organs won't grind past each other, wearing themselves down. Drink PFAS, keep your organs properly lubricated.

This message brought to you by the American PFAS manufacturers association of America.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago

That seems low.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

The majority of PFAs that we’ve consumed have been from food packaging and clothing/textile treatments over the last ~30 years.

Kris Hansen, the scientist who tested for the presence of PFO contaminants in blood for 3M, found them in all of the bags of blood she tested from the American Red Cross in the late 1990s. Those bags were initially intended to be the control against testing the high levels found in 3M employees.

https://www.propublica.org/article/3m-forever-chemicals-pfas-pfos-inside-story

[-] Biggles@lemmy.myserv.one 1 points 1 day ago

I wonder if the bags are made of plastic from 3M.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

But let's not stop using them! What could go wrong?

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

The good news is they won’t be as much of a concern as the lead, mercury, arsenic, and many other environmental toxin regulations that will be repealed so we can turn the US into the unregulated child labor factory utopia that US businesses so desperately need to move to domestic production while maintaining profits.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Don't forget Trump's favorite construction material, asbestos.

[-] Doomsider@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Remember kids, 40% of Americans will get cancer in their lifetime.

[-] enbyecho@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

The My Life Outdoors dude has a relevant video "Your Gear is Poisoning You":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ht7nOaIkpI

[-] DigitalNirvana@lemm.ee 8 points 2 days ago

Point of use filtration.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)
[-] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 4 points 2 days ago

When you said "only the most expensive", I got concerned. Then I went to the website (https://cyclopure.com/product-category/store/), and see the countertop Purefast cartridge is $40-45. So I wonder what you are actually finding problematic here?

From your first link. second paragraph: "“These $45 filters can provide up to 65 gallons of PFAS-free water, replacing 700 single-use water bottles,” said CycloPure chief executive officer Frank Cassou. The cartridges will be available in early April 2022."

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 21 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

$45 for 65 gallons? That lasts one person 4-6 weeks depending on their weight. That’s not even counting using filtered water for cooking, tea, coffee, etc.

A regular Brita filter 3-pack only costs $15. The PFA rated filters are nine times more expensive by comparison.

[-] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io -5 points 2 days ago

Agreed, they are more expensive. Are they the most expensive? No. Do you have a better short term alternative? One option would be to use distillation. It would be lovely to remove PFAS entirely from the planet, but that isn't happening in the short term, unless you are aware of something I'm not. Please share? I'm just trying to find ways to reduce the toxic load for myself and others. Thanks!

Here is EWG's article on the topic, which gives similar recommendations: https://www.ewg.org/research/getting-forever-chemicals-out-drinking-water-ewgs-guide-pfas-water-filters

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago

Oh, I’m not discounting their need or efficacy.

I think is absolutely criminal that we are paying to filter out the chemicals and not 3M and DuPont.

[-] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 2 points 1 day ago

No argument there. This crap should not be in our environment at all. How do we get 3M, DuPont, etc to pay for our filters?

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

We don’t. Not with the incoming Republican government. They don’t believe in regulating businesses.

[-] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 1 points 1 day ago

Cool, well I could just give up, but that's not my style. So point of use filtration for now, and keep working on solving the larger problems piece by piece.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Sure, if you can afford it. It’s more important to avoid premade foods wrapped in water-resistant paper or plastics until all companies have removed PFAs from their packaging. There’s a far higher chance of ingesting PFAs from package leeching.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-industry-actions-end-sales-pfas-used-us-food-packaging

[-] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I propose the opposite. Specifically, I propose we use the Burns omni-net. It sweeps the sea clean!

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago

Lifestraw removes PFAS. AND lead!

[-] pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online 5 points 2 days ago

You'd be an idiot for using a lifestraw for all of your hydration when you can buy a pitcher that does the exact same thing.

[-] fern@lemmy.autism.place 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Pitcher is easier to spill when I'm being hunted.

Also lifestraw is reusable, unlike many other systems.

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

Ughh. Being hunted is the worst.

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

You mean my Lifestraw pitcher?

this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2024
180 points (98.9% liked)

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