Nearly Half of US Tap Water Contains ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Study Finds

Nearly Half of US Tap Water , Contains ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Study Finds.

716 locations in D.C., the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and all 50 states were tested by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), CBS News reports.

The data was collected between 2016 and 2021.

PFAS, or "forever chemicals," were found in a minimum of 45% of faucets.

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USGS scientists tested water collected directly from people's kitchen sinks across the nation, providing the most comprehensive study to date on PFAS in tap water from both private wells and public supplies, Kelly Smalling, lead study author, via news release.

The study estimates that at least one type of PFAS – of those that were monitored – could be present in nearly half of the tap water in the U.S. Furthermore, PFAS concentrations were similar between public supplies and private wells, Kelly Smalling, lead study author, via news release.

Over "12,000 types of PFAS exist" and have been linked to health problems such as cancer, CBS News reports.

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Previous research has shown that over 95% of U.S. adults exhibit "detectable levels" of PFAS in blood samples.

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The current study represents the first time both private and government-regulated water was tested.

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Two types of PFAS were found to exceed health advisory ranges established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA only began tracking information related to PFAS in 2016.

It has proposed a federal rule which would require companies to divulge whether their goods contain PFAS