Map Reveals 20% Americans at Risk of 'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water

By Pandora Dewan | Newsweek | October 25, 2024

Read the full article by Pandora Dewan (Newsweek)

"More than 20 percent of U.S. households may rely on drinking water sources contaminated by "forever chemicals," new research by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) suggests. Those in Eastern states are particularly likely to be exposed.

PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, are a class of chemicals that can be found in a range of everyday products. They are nicknamed forever chemicals because they breakdown very slowly over time and stick around in their surrounding environment. As a result, PFAS can be found in soil, oceans and waterways around the world.

Now, the USGS has revealed than around 71 to 95 million Americans may rely on drinking water from groundwater supplies containing detectable levels of these PFAS. The study, published in the journal Science, is the first to report national estimates of PFAS in untreated groundwater that supplies drinking water to private and public wells. The research also provides the first estimate of the number of people who might be exposed to this contamination."