By Treven Pyles
Posted on July 25th, 2023
According to a recent study, nearly half of the tap water supplies in the U.S. contain at least one PFAS. Still, the number of people drinking contaminated water may be even higher than what the study found, as the researchers were not able to test for all of these chemicals, whose number exceeds 1,200.
As a family of ubiquitous synthetic chemicals, PFAS linger in the environment and the human body. Exposure to these harmful substances is associated with health problems such as cancer, obesity, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, liver damage, and hormone suppression, among many others. In June 2022, based on the latest science, the EPA issued health advisories saying the chemicals are considerably more hazardous to human health than researchers had originally thought and are probably more dangerous even at levels thousands of times lower than previously believed.
The water supplies serving 110 million Americans may be contaminated with PFAS, according to the Environmental Working Group. Furthermore, biomonitoring studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the blood of nearly all U.S. residents is contaminated with PFAS. While the EPA was first alerted of the problem of PFAS in drinking water in 2001, it has failed to set enforceable legal limits for almost 20 years. However, in 2016, the agency issued a lifetime health advisory for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water of 70 ppt, which many health agencies consider too high.
According to a study from Environmental International, at least one PFAS was detected in 20% of private wells and 40% of public water supplies. Moreover, a similar pattern was reported in groundwater from the eastern U.S. - 60% of public supply wells and 20% of monitoring wells contained at least one PFAS. Approximately 40 million people nationwide rely on private wells for drinking water, so these highly toxic chemicals are a major cause for concern. As for public water systems, there are over 148,000 of these in the country. According to the same study, the highest concentrations of PFAS in drinking water were found in the following areas:
- the Great Plains
- the Great Lakes
- the Eastern Seaboard
- Central and Southern California
PFAS are found in hundreds of common items. These chemicals are used to make carpets and clothes stain-resistant. They keep food from sticking to pans and food packaging and are good at keeping grease and water from soaking through. PFAS are in mobile phones, airplanes, and low-emission vehicles, in the foods you buy at the farmers market or the grocery store, and in rainwater and dental floss. PFAS are even present in the dust that collects in your home. It is worth noting that one of the primary sources of PFAS water contamination is the use of AFFF, a fire suppressant that abounds in these chemicals, by civilian and military firefighters.
Join the PFAS water contamination lawsuit with the assistance of our diligent attorneys
With over 30 years of experience in providing quality assistance to toxic exposure victims, our attorneys will gladly help you join our PFAS Settlement Payout Program, by virtue of which you can subsequently join the lawsuit if your water supply became contaminated with these hazardous chemicals. However, it is important to know that, to be eligible, your water supply must have detectable levels of PFAS.
If you join the PFAS water contamination lawsuit, you can obtain a part of 3M's major settlement, money that will cover the cost of water testing, remediation, and treatment. We will begin working on your case as soon as we deem you eligible. If our endeavors are successful, your community will receive the financial compensation it deserves.
