CNN
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A group of potentially toxic “forever chemicals,” mostly coming from prescribed drugs, may be contaminating drinking water for millions of Americans, as wastewater treatment plants fail to remove them — and climate change may be making the situation even worse, according to a new report.
Scientists analyzed water samples flowing through eight large publicly owned wastewater plants across the US, all of similar size and using similar technologies to those serving 70% of the population.
Even with advanced treatment technologies, they found forever chemicals and compounds able to transform into them were being discharged into rivers and lakes where they can reenter the drinking water supply. Roughly 23 million Americans could be exposed to these forever chemicals from wastewater alone, the study found.
“We’re identifying really large amounts of chemicals that we know very little about,” said Bridger Ruyle, an environmental engineering scientist at NYU and an author of the study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This is especially concerning as treated wastewater is expected to make up an increasing proportion of drinking water supplies as climate change-fueled drought shrinks water sources, Ruyle told CNN.
Forever chemicals are so-called for their ability to stay in the environment — and in people’s bodies — for a very long time without breaking down. There are nearly 15,000 of them, known collectively as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Since the 1950s, PFAS have been used in a huge range of consumer products, prized for their ability to resist oil, grease, heat and water. They make clothes waterproof, carpets stain-resistant and pans non-stick. But their prolific use has come at a cost. Even at very low levels, they have been linked to a range of health conditions, including thyroid problems, infertility and some cancers.
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People are exposed to PFAS in many ways, but drinking water is an important one. Almost half the tap water in the US is contaminated, according to a 2023 study.
Wastewater treatment plants play a major role, Ruyle said. They receive PFAS-contaminated water from homes and industry and about 50% of drinking water plants in the US are downstream from one of them, he added.
In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency introduced rules to dramatically reduce concentrations of six PFAS in drinking water. However, the study found the chemicals the EPA regulates made up only about 8% of the potentially hazardous compounds found in the water samples analyzed. The majority