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Study finds drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains PFAS - What it means for health

By and FOX 2 Staff
Published  July 6, 2023 5:38pm EDT
Health
FOX 2 Detroit

PFAS in drinking water raises concerns about safety

A recent study showed that nearly half of all drinking water faucets in the U.S. have water that contains PFAS, raising concerns about health.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - In a nationwide study by the U.S. Geological Survey, researchers found that drinking water from nearly half of the faucets in the United States contains "forever chemicals," known as PFAS.

"It is toxic to humans. It does not break down in the environment. It does not break down in humans. It is a concern for all of us, and we are just not handling these compounds properly," said Dr. John Hartig, Board of Director of Detroit’s Riverfront Conservancy. "About six years ago you will remember that we found PFAS in the fish of the Huron River. They had to issue a health advisory for all fish on the Huron River saying don’t eat them."

Hartig is an international scholar whose life’s work is dedicated to environmental research...including water. Hartig says this new study is proof that society has a long way to go, and we need to start by getting off the environmental crisis rollercoaster.

"We had in 1948 we had the massive oil spill on the Detroit river that killed 11 thousand ducks and geese, then we had in the 60s DDT, and then we had the band hit, then 69 we had the Rouge River fire, and in 1970 we had the mercury crisis that had to shut down all the fishery in our region," Hartig said. "When you’re producing products whether it’s a plastic product or something like that, what are the input products? How toxic are they? They can model that and look at the long-term consequences."

According to the study, samples were taken from taps at 716 locations, including 447 that rely on public supplies and nearly 270 using private wells, the sampling covered 75% of Michigander’s drinking water.

The state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) released a statement, saying in part, "We learned that 90% of the state’s public supplies were non-detect for PFAS using an EPA-approved testing methodology."

Essentially, it’s safe to drink the water, but it never hurts to be precautious.

"You can have a Brita in your fridge, you can also add one. You can also talk to your local water supplier, Great Lakes Water Authority, and what are they doing to filter out these compounds," Hartig said.