A new study by economists from West Virginia University (WVU) has found hot spots of harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals” in United States public water systems, including in higher-income, densely populated areas, as well as those that use groundwater.

At least four PFAS contamination hot spots were identified in the eastern U.S. by Levan Elbakidze, a resource economics and management professor at WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Nabin Khanal, a doctoral student, a press release from WVU said.

The researchers correlated their data with socioeconomic factors such as income, housing density and raw water intake sources and found that communities that were heavily populated, had higher incomes and industries like health care, manufacturing, defense and aviation showed concerning levels of PFAS contamination.

“Ninety-five percent of US adolescents and adults are exposed to PFAS, primarily through drinking water. Between 16 and 270 million people in the US rely on PFAS-contaminated drinking water. Therefore, it is important to understand the incidence and distribution of PFAS in public water systems,” the authors wrote in the study.

Lower income populations that were non-white and located in larger agricultural regions were found to have lower contamination levels.

Communities that got their drinking water from aquifers had a higher chance of having contaminated water than those that used reservoirs and rivers.

The researchers pointed out that addressing both consumer products and industrial emissions would be necessary in order to mitigate contamination.

“They’re called ‘forever chemicals’ because once they are made, they don’t biodegrade,” Elbakidze said in the press release.

There are more than 9,000 PFAS, a group of synthetic chemicals known to cause serious health issues like heart and thyroid disease, cancer and infertility. The hazardous substances are found in many common products such as nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and firefighting foam. They are also used in industrial processes because of their resistance to heat, water, grease and stains.

“The use and production of PFAS dates to more than 70 years ago when they were first used for uranium separation in the Manhattan Project. Since then, these substances have become ubiquitous due to their resistance to degradation, water solubility, and the ability to translocate easily from one system to another,” the authors of the study wrote.

The U.S. hot spots were found in 149 counties in 10 states. The hot spot covering the most counties spans Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, while the second largest stretches across New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware. The third biggest hot spot is located along the border of North and South Carolinas, while the smallest can be found in Colorado.

“The regional hot spots have PFAS manufacturing plants, industrial sites that utilize PFAS, and/or densely populated communities, while the Colorado hot spot encompasses counties with the U.S. Space Command, an Air Force Base and an Air Force Academy that uses PFAS as part of their operations,” Elbakidze explained.

Even small amounts of PFAS can be harmful, and millions of people are exposed to these toxic chemicals through their drinking water.

In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its first nationwide limits for PFAS in drinking water, potentially lowering exposure for approximately 100 million people.

The researchers used EPA data, as well as data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to get a better idea of the distribution of contaminant concentrations.

Testing for PFAS had historically been centered on areas near facilities for the manufacturing of PFAS, aviation and defense. But the study indicated that contamination can happen through everyday products in communities a long way from industrial sites.

“Given the diverse sources of contamination, any water system — whether a public water system or a private well — could potentially be affected,” Khanal said in the press release. “Therefore, it is crucial to test your water for PFAS and take necessary measures to avoid using contaminated water for drinking or food preparation.”

The study, “Peril in the Pipeline: Unraveling the threads of PFAS contamination in U.S. drinking water systems,” was published in the journal PLOS One.

“We wash things, we wear water-resistant clothing. That’s PFAS. So, if you have a densely populated area, those things are consumed in greater amounts. PFAS gets washed down into the sewer. But wastewater treatment plants don’t have technology to filter PFAS out of the wastewater before it gets released. Subsequently, drinking water systems that also lack necessary technology and draw water from the contaminated sources end up delivering PFAS in treated water,” Khanal said.

At first, the researchers thought underground aquifers would contain fewer contaminants since the groundwater gets filtered somewhat as it percolates.

“Most pollutants under the Safe Drinking Water Act are more prevalent in water systems that take water from the surface,” Elbakidze said. “But that’s not the case with PFAS. Groundwater is more contaminated because the chemicals don’t biodegrade or get destroyed, so they stay there for a very long time.”

Next, the researchers plan to look into the economic burden imposed by PFAS contamination on society so that they can measure its financial impacts and inform better management and policy practices.

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