What are ‘forever chemicals'? What to know about PFAS, private wells and your tap water

By Houston Harwood | Evansville Courier & Press  | September 5, 2024

Read the full article by Houston Harwood (Evansville Courier & Press)

"More than 40 million Americans get their drinking water not from the public supply but from private sources, and nearly all of them rely on groundwater that could contain a hidden threat: a class of harmful pollutants often referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their indestructible nature.

You won’t taste, smell or notice any change to the color of your water if per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are present. To date, there are no nationwide requirements to test private well water for PFAS, which comprise a class of thousands of compounds that have seen widespread use in industrial processes and consumer products, such as Teflon pans, since the 1950s.

Even in minuscule quantities − a few parts per trillion − long-term exposure to PFAS can increase cholesterol levels, damage the immune system, cause cancers and disrupt thyroid function, among other ailments, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• ImpactDrinking water
• ImpactDrinking waterPrivate wells
• Health
• Measurement Techniques
• Monitoring Data
• PFAS Uses