Slashdot Mirror


6 Million Americans Exposed To High Levels of Chemicals In Drinking Water, Says Study (businessinsider.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Business Insider: A new study out Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters looked at a national database that monitors chemical levels in drinking water and found that 6 million people were being exposed to levels of a certain chemical that exceed what the Environmental Protection Agency considers healthy. The chemicals, known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, are synthetic and resistant to water and oil, which is why they're used in things like pizza boxes and firefighting foam. They're built to withstand the environment. But PFASs also accumulate in people and animals and have been observationally linked to an increased risk of health problems including cancer. And they can't be easily avoided, like with a water filter, for example. You can view the chart to see the tested areas of the U.S. where PFASs exceed 70 ng/L, which is what's considered a healthy lifetime exposure.

31 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. Chemicals?! by TroII · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh god, not chemicals! Tell me there's not dihydrogen monoxide in my drinking water! The government is spraying chemtrails over my house and sometimes when I water my tomato plants I see rainbows in the water, you can't explain that! The orange cheeto people are trying to enslave us but I won't let them win.

    1. Re:Chemicals?! by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 4, Informative

      This isn't "dihydrogen monoxide", it's the class of compounds that includes C8, which was used in Teflon manufacture until recently. It never degrades and will last millions of years. It causes birth defects (reduced birth size, physical developmental delays, or miscarriage), cancer, and liver disease.

      Now "chemtrails" *are* bullshit.

    2. Re:Chemicals?! by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 2

      Asbestos never degrades either. It causes cancer when your DNA gets tangled on the needles.

    3. Re:Chemicals?! by TroII · · Score: 5, Funny

      Listen to this guy, he's talking about C8! What's he going to say next, C8N? Science, right? That's what scientists do, folks. They put C, and 8, and before you know it, Satan. Lots of people are saying MillionthMonkey is Satan. Really smart people, I have the best scientists, the ones who spray chemtrails over your homes, people. MillionthMonkey, right, I have a video, folks. The Secret Service is carrying a Valium injector around just to make sure this guy doesn't go low energy, you get what I'm saying? Parkinson's, people are saying Parkinson's, I'm not saying it, people are saying it. And this guy wants to talk about science? Can you believe this?

    4. Re:Chemicals?! by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A compound doesn't have to undergo a chemical reaction to cause cancer. It can activate a receptor, attach itself to a binding site in an enzyme, or intercalate between DNA bases.

    5. Re:Chemicals?! by quenda · · Score: 3, Funny

      This isn't "dihydrogen monoxide", ... It never degrades and will last millions of years.

      DHMO can last millions of years, and is one of the leading causes of death in toddlers in the US.

    6. Re:Chemicals?! by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 4, Informative

      But dioxin is organic.

    7. Re:Chemicals?! by whoever57 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Indeed. The Intercept had a set of articles on what should be a scandal surrounding C8.

      Remember folks, when those politicians want to "eliminate regulations", they want to eliminate regulations that protect people from pollution such as this. They want to give companies a free pass on putting dangerous chemicals into the environment.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    8. Re:Chemicals?! by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 3, Funny

      You know, you're not allowed to use hairspray anymore because if affects the ozone. You know that, right? I said, "You mean to tell me"- because you know hairspray's not like it used to be, it used to be real good. Give me a mirror. But no, in the old days, you put the hairspray on, it was good. Today, you put the hairspray on, it's good for 12 minutes, right? I said, "Wait a minute- so if I take hairspray and if I spray it in my apartment, which is all sealed, you're telling me that affects the ozone layer?" "Yes." I say, no way, folks. No way! No way! That's like a lot of the rules and regulations you people have in the mines, right? It's the same kind of stuff.

    9. Re:Chemicals?! by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's true, but dioxin (specifically tetrachlorodibenzodioxin) is an organochlorine. Covalent bonds between carbon and chlorine are artificial. In nature chlorine is never found like that; it occurs as an ion or a mineral constituent. PFOAs have covalent bonds between carbon and fluorine, which are also artificial.

    10. Re:Chemicals?! by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3

      Oh god, not chemicals! Tell me there's not dihydrogen monoxide in my drinking water! The government is spraying chemtrails over my house and sometimes when I water my tomato plants I see rainbows in the water, you can't explain that! The orange cheeto people are trying to enslave us but I won't let them win.

      Yaeah, here's your arsenic trioxide sauce. Drinky up! I triple dog dare ya. It's a chemical, and anyone who thinks chemicals are bad is a kook.

      And how can there be radiation? How can something you can't even see be bad for you?

      I hope you realize you are just as silly and as unintelligent as the people you are mocking in your post.

      Here's a link for you to mock. http://www.nicole.org/uploaded...

      Now personally, I'd be more concerned about the estrogen mimics we are consuming in increasing amounts.

      http://www.environmentalhealth...

      https://www.sciencedaily.com/r...

      Even (get ready for this) Fox News, has reported on this: http://www.foxnews.com/health/...

      And BPA isn't the only estrogen mimic. We are being hammered with Estrogen mimics, and with phytoestrogens from food.

      Now I do suspect unless you are a total misanthrope and just enjoy people's problems, that you don't really approve of this kind of stuff.

      But Bisphenol A is an example of a large scale experiment which has caused a lot of harm to humans and other creatures. We did the same with DDT, thalidomide, lead, and more. These PFA chemicals are a likely carcinogen, and since they take a heckava long time to break down, it becomes a real problem if/when that is confirmed. Aside from drinking water, there are some people, like firefighters, who are exposed to a huge amount when they use fire suppressant foam.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  2. Re:You need a water filter, ASAP. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you're buying anything Alex Jones is selling, you've already been drinking something tainted..

  3. Baryonic matter by Pfhorrest · · Score: 5, Funny

    Being composed of baryonic matter exposes one to high levels of chemicals, especially for those living outside of the intergalactic voids. To avoid unwanted chemical reaction in proximity to galaxy clusters, convert your substrate entirely to dark matter.

    --
    -Forrest Cameranesi, Geek of all Trades
    "I am Sam. Sam I am. I do not like trolls, flames, or spam."
  4. Link to article by drunken_boxer777 · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/1...

    It helps if there is a working link in TFS.

  5. Re:Ahh: More than you think: Bottling plants... by Fallen+Kell · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You fail to realize that there are quite a few bottling plants located in some of those high affected regions. Guess where all the Pepsi in the USA is made? Yep, right in the middle of this highest concentrations of both those chemicals on the map (eastern PA, NJ, southern NY). That also goes for all Pepsi products, not just Pepsi itself...

    --
    We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
  6. More than one type? by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 2

    Oh god, not chemicals! Tell me there's not dihydrogen monoxide in my drinking water! The government is spraying chemtrails over my house and sometimes when I water my tomato plants I see rainbows in the water, you can't explain that!

    You do know there's more than one type of chemical, right?

    1. Re:More than one type? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There seems to be a new type of denier. Maybe we can call them "danger deniers" or something, or Famous Last Worders (FMLs). They think that because everyone else is an idiot something must be safe, be it a particular chemical or nuclear contamination or some machine.

      Examples:

      1. Oh god, not chemicals! Tell me there's not dihydrogen monoxide in my drinking water!
      2. Oh noes, not noocular radiashun!!
      3. Statistically auto-pilot is safer than humans!
      4. Everything gives you cancer!

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:More than one type? by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 2

      I came here to make fun of "chemicals" as well. It's not that I don't think this is a problem, it's that people use the word "chemicals" when they mean to say "dangerous chemicals". Water is a chemical. I'm made of chemicals. It's ignorant to use the generic word "chemical" when trying to scare someone.

    3. Re:More than one type? by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 2

      There seems to be a new type of denier. Maybe we can call them "danger deniers" or something, or Famous Last Worders (FMLs). They think that because everyone else is an idiot something must be safe, be it a particular chemical or nuclear contamination or some machine.

      Examples:

      1. Oh god, not chemicals! Tell me there's not dihydrogen monoxide in my drinking water! 2. Oh noes, not noocular radiashun!! 3. Statistically auto-pilot is safer than humans! 4. Everything gives you cancer!

      Denier type behavior is more evident in those that ignore the body of scientific established data which show things to be of low risk compared to everyday risk exposures , yet they insist on assuming its really much worse or speak of those risks out of context. Your examples are hyperbolized generalizations of your own making, so you are displaying the exact behavior that you are citing.

    4. Re:More than one type? by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      Examples:
      1. Oh god, not chemicals! Tell me there's not dihydrogen monoxide in my drinking water!
      2. Oh noes, not noocular radiashun!!
      3. Statistically auto-pilot is safer than humans!
      4. Everything gives you cancer!

      How do you feel justified lumping #3 in with the others? Statistics are the cornerstone of modern science. I don't know that I'd buy Musk's 50% statistic, but I'm actually only interested in statistics, and not appeals to emotion. At least there are some statistics that appear to support #3. All the statistics show that the class of contaminants we're currently talking about are harmful, so people in denial about it are provably denialists.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    5. Re:More than one type? by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      It's ignorant to use the generic word "chemical" when trying to scare someone.

      The problem is that there's no one word with which people are familiar which tells the story correctly, and you really need to use one word because people are confused if you use two. Dangerous chemicals leads us into a discussion about how dangerous they are, weasel weasel weasel. Hazardous? More weaseling. What represents a hazard? So instead we just call them chemicals, and then the argument becomes "everything is a chemical", which is an obvious attempt to mislead from people who have nothing to contribute to the conversation which moves us ahead, but feel they have to chime in anyway.

      I remember the early days of the "ban DHMO" meme, because I know Craig and I've lived at the Marshmallow Peanut Circus and hung out at Darkwater during the time when it became a thing. I even participated in helping to spread it in its infancy. But now I regret it somewhat (not that I think it wouldn't have gone on without me) because I think it does more harm than good. Yes, "everything" is made up of chemicals. Yes, it's possible to attempt to mislead someone by talking about "chemicals" being in things, like food or water. However, it's far more common for people to try to mislead people by talking about how everything is a chemical, or a chemical compound.

      I'd love to see everyone including myself be more educated in chemistry; I got literally none of it outside of the absolutely most basic overview which is provided in a general freshman physics class. I wasn't in high school long enough to get any chemistry and it wasn't required in college, but did require more math than I had so I had to skip it — like it or not. But what I'd like even more than that is for intelligent people to stop giving corporations a bigger pass on their language than ordinary people who have been failed by the education system.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  7. 6 Million is a Gross Underestimation by CrashNBrn · · Score: 2, Informative

    The contamination areas includes, Southern California, Northern California, Central California, Texas and large swaths of the Eastern United States (from the Great Lakes to Massachusetts) and down the seaboard to Florida. I would say 6 million is a gross underestimation - considering how much produce is shipped outside of California,and the population density in the affected areas.

    1. Re:6 Million is a Gross Underestimation by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 5, Informative
      From TFA;

      exceed what the Environmental Protection Agency considers healthy.

      Actually, this is not true. What is exceeded is the regulated or recommended limit, which is set lower, usually much lower, than what they consider safe or 'not healthy' from scientific evidence. Now, that doesn't mean we should be OK with the situation, so don't go off getting mad at me for no reason, I'm just pointing out a commonly seen misrepresentation of facts that bugs me.

  8. Re:Ahh: More than you think: Bottling plants... by Solandri · · Score: 5, Informative

    The commercial bottled water plants which use tap water (Pepsis/Aquafina, Coca Cola/Dasani, etc) use reverse osmosis on the tap water before bottling. Reverse osmosis removes all PFASes.

    It's actually "natural" spring water in affected areas you have to worry about. They can pick up these substances from the environment.

  9. Re:Ahh: More than you think: Bottling plants... by KeithIrwin · · Score: 5, Informative

    Guess where all the Pepsi in the USA is made?

    Hmm, I'm going to guess "at regional bottling plants run by different bottling companies who franchise from PepsiCo", because that is in fact how it actually works. There is no one factory which makes the Pepsi for the whole country. Heck, most large metropolitan areas have their own bottling plant which uses the local water, so there's not even usually one source per state.

    Perhaps you've confused your regional Pepsi bottler for the only source of Pepsi in the US because you don't understand what's going on at all.

  10. Re:You need a water filter, ASAP. by Pseudonym · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does it filter DHMO? I hear there are dangerously high levels of that in the water supply.

    --
    sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
  11. Xenoestrogens, fluoride, and other nasty chemicals by DatbeDank · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The more startling aspect of this drinking water pollution are the levels of xenoestrogens. Between HFCS, sedentary lifestyles, and now all sorts of medical chemicals floating around in our drinking water humans are suffering a, "death by a thousand cuts" so to speak. Hormone disrupting chemicals are affecting wild animals as well.

    You can fight most of these, but some are more nefarious. I drink upwards of a gallon of water a day because of my work. Thankfully it's a very active (foreman) gig, but at the same time it still has me concerned. I can't use my reverse osmosis home system when i'm away at work!

  12. Re:You need a water filter, ASAP. by Deagol · · Score: 2

    I've owned a classic Big Berkey for about 10 years. The filters, while expensive, are the best of their class (gravity fed). You can see, taste, and smell the difference.

    I don't know how impartial waterfilterlabs.com is, nor how rigid their testing methodology is, but the top of the line Berkey filters (the black plus the fluoride filters underneath) rank the highest on nearly every category. The systems were designed to filter questionable water in shitty, war-torn, 3rd-world environments, so they knock out pathogens, volatiles, and heavy metals.

    Just because quacks may recommend a product doesn't necessarily mean it's snake oil.

  13. EWG says the EPA limit is too high. by generic_screenname · · Score: 2

    I'll just leave this here. http://www.ewg.org/research/te...

  14. Re:Ahh: More than you think: Bottling plants... by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 2

    Reverse osmosis removes all PFASes [waterrf.org].

    According to this publication RO removes 86% of PFAS. It also mentions that the rejected water has considerably higher concentration of PAFS. So anywhere that has a bottling plant with high concentrations is going to continually get worse as the rejected water is dumped into the sewer or directly back into the water table. Regardless it ends up back in the local water supply as standard filtration at sewage treatment plants isn't much help.

  15. Re:You need a water filter, ASAP. by liquid_schwartz · · Score: 2

    Bottled water is not as clean as you think it is... :)

    I have a family member who works for a water district and he mentions periodically that the standards for drinking water are higher than the standards for bottled water.