“Forever Chemicals” in Tap Water detected across the US by the USGS
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a new study that stated approximately 45% of the country’s tap water has a chance of getting tarnished by at least one of the strains of PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These are commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
Thousands of man-made chemicals are found in nonstick cookware, stain-protected carpets, as well as in polluted food and water. These chemicals take a lot of time to break down and threaten humans, animals, and the environment as a whole.
These PFAS can cause severe health issues and increase the rate of cancer, obesity, high cholesterol, declining fertility, and lower birth weight among children.
Therefore the federal government is looking forward to adapting new regulations to remove toxic materials from drinking water.
What can you do immediately? Get a Culligan system to filter these chemicals.
These new regulations will involve testing water from 700 locations throughout the country over a five-year time span. This data will be used to represent and estimate the content of PFAS nationwide.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Act published drinking water health recommendations for two of the most common compounds – PFOA and PFOS in June 2022. Thus, the Government can warn the people and detect the presence of toxins, even if it is present on a lower level.
What The USGS Study Found
While most federal and state programs include measuring the exposure of pollutants to other PFAS present in water treatment plants and other groundwater wells, a different measure was adopted by the USGS.
They focused entirely on collecting water samples directly from homeowner’s to detect the presence of contaminants.
A number of scientists collected samples between 2016-2021 from approximately 716 residents, business organizations, and a number of water treatment plants in both rural and urban areas throughout the U.S.
Out of that, 447 were dependent on public supplies, while 269 were dependent on private wells. In both the researches, the content of PFAS was more or less similar.
The scientist at USGS also stated that almost 75% of PFAS are found in Urban Areas, whereas the percentage is 25% in rural areas. Moreover, these studies are based on certain geographical locations, including the Great Plains, Lakes, The Eastern Seaboard, and the Central and Southern part of California.
Read the complete article here.
What Can You Do to Protect Your Family from Forever Chemicals?
The central idea behind this research from the USGS was to put an emphasis on water health for private users, both in urban and rural households.
Therefore if you want to make your home PFAS-free, you need a Culligan Water System.
Call Culligan Water at (573) 874-6147 or Request a Free Water Analysis and make your home PFAS-free.