The Environmental Working Group's updated Tap Water Database reveals that nearly half of Americans drink water contaminated with PFAS, harmful synthetic chemicals linked to serious health issues. The EWG analyzed data from about 50,000 water systems between 2021 and 2023, discovering 324 contaminants, including nitrate and arsenic. While many contaminants are below EPA legal limits, they surpass the EWG’s health-based standards. Despite federal efforts to regulate PFAS, Americans frequently consume these hazardous chemicals, raising concerns about their long-term health effects.
"The reason we publish this database is so people are aware that, one, there are contaminants in their drinking water, and two, even at perfectly legal limits, in most cases contaminants are present at concentrations that are linked to health harm," says Sydney Evans, senior science analyst at the EWG.
In many cases, these detectable levels fall below the legal limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency, but they nevertheless exceed the 'health-based standards' established by the EWG itself.
Collection
[
|
...
]