Forever chemicals” in tap water increase cancer risk by up to 33%

Men in areas with high levels of PFAS showed a higher percentage of leukemia and urinary system cancer, brain cancer, and soft tissue cancers.

📊 What the research shows

A study conducted by the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) indicates an increase in the cancer incidence rate of up to 33% due to exposure to “forever chemicals“, which are detected in tap water.

🧫 What are PFAS and where are they found

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), now known as “forever chemicals,” are found in nearly half – 45% – of the drinking water supplies in the United States and are linked by researchers to an increase in the incidence of certain cancers of the digestive, endocrine, respiratory, oral, and throat systems.

📚 Where the study was published

The report published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology is the first to study cancer and drinking water contamination by PFAS in the USA, while previous research had linked these harmful substances to a range of health issues such as kidney cancer, breast, and testicular cancer.

📈 What the research team found

The research team, analyzing population data, observed a concerning pattern, according to which counties with increased PFAS levels recorded more cases of cancer during the period 2016 – 2021. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pollution from these substances leads to approximately 6,800 new cases of cancer each year.

🗺️ Which areas were affected

The findings of the specialists revealed that cancer rates in counties of New York and California ranged from 2% to 33%, with the group expressing concern about perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), a type of PFAS associated with oral and throat cancer.

🧍 Who is most affected by PFAS

As the study states:

• Men in areas with high levels of PFAS showed increased cases of leukemia and cancer affecting the urinary system, the brain, and soft tissues.
• Women in the same areas faced a higher percentage of thyroid cancer, oral cancer, throat cancer, and soft tissue cancer.

🗣️ What the head of the study states

These findings allow us to draw an initial conclusion regarding the relationship between certain rare cancers and PFAS,” said Siwen Sherlock Li, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at Keck School of Medicine and the lead author of the study.

🧪 New regulations and future actions

Li noted that starting in 2029, the EPA will monitor the levels of six types of PFAS in drinking water, but left open the possibility that stricter limits may be needed to protect public health.

Some PFAS that have been studied less need to be monitored more, and regulatory authorities should consider other PFAS that may not have been thoroughly tested yet,” he added.

🧴 Where else are PFAS found in everyday life

Moreover, their use is widespread in everyday items such as:

• Non-stick cooking utensils
• Waterproof clothing
• Food packaging

With washing and contact with the skin, a person is exposed to harmful substances, and even small amounts of these can enter the body, leading to potential long-term effects on health.

📚 Source: NewMoney Green