Every day, we come into contact with a wide range of chemicals, many of which are hidden in our surroundings. Among them, PFAS—often called “forever chemicals”—are found in many everyday products and industrial applications. Unfortunately, their pervasiveness allows them to accumulate in both the environment and our bodies, posing significant health risks.
Understanding the stakes is crucial for taking the necessary precautions. In this article, we’ll explore how PFAS in tap water can impact health and provide valuable insights on what you can do to protect your family.
What are PFAs?
PFAs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of thousands of man-made chemicals that have been widely used in household products and industrial applications since the 1950s. These chemicals are valued for their water, oil, and stain-repellent properties, heat resistance, improving cleaning, foaming, and coating performance.
PFAS are everywhere – quite literally. Acting as repellents, stabilizers, and lubricants, they are components of non-stick cookware, water- and stain-resistant carpets, furniture, and clothing, including waterproof gear like raincoats, hiking boots, and sportswear. These chemicals are also found in food packaging, household cleaners, and personal care products such as cosmetics, shampoo, sunscreen, and dental floss. Their ability to resist heat and reduce friction makes them essential in firefighting foam, lubricants, electronics like mobile phones, and even cars.
PFAS are designed to last, earning them the nickname ‘forever chemicals,’ with nearly indestructible bonds that allow them to persist in the environment indefinitely. Over time, PFAS contaminate the air, water, and ecosystems, accumulating in both wildlife and people. Human exposure occurs not only through products but also through house dust, air, food, and especially drinking water. Indeed, the latter has become a primary pathway for PFAS contamination.
PFAs in Drinking Water
PFAS contamination in drinking water can stem from several sources. These chemicals are released during industrial manufacturing, through direct discharge into rivers, lakes, and streams, and from PFAS-containing waste that ends up in landfills or incinerators. Once dropped or burned, PFAS can leach into groundwater and surface water, or become airborne, further contaminating the environment. Additionally, sewage sludge, pesticides applied to agricultural fields, and firefighting foams used to extinguish fires or at airports and military bases further contribute to water pollution.
Because PFAS can travel long distances from their original sources, widespread contamination is difficult to manage. Eventually, they enter private wells and public drinking water supplies, affecting both urban and rural communities. Municipalities, in particular, have limited capacity to address the issue, as most water treatment facilities are not equipped to detect or remove these substances. Moreover, PFAS can infiltrate water at various stages of the distribution system, from treatment plants to homes.
Why Should you be concerned? PFAs and your Health
As you may already understand, PFAS are nearly impossible to avoid. Their chemical diversity makes them highly useful, but it also complicates efforts to fully understand their environmental and health impacts, especially as new compounds are regularly discovered.
What we know
Research has primarily focused on a small subset of PFAS, so their global occurrence and impacts are likely underestimated. However, available evidence shows alarming health effects.
Studies have detected PFAS in blood and urine samples from individuals exposed through various sources, underscoring their longevity and bioaccumulative nature. PFAS have extremely long half-lives in the body, with some compounds remaining in the bloodstream for years. This persistence leads to bioaccumulation, as individuals absorb more PFAS than they eliminate. Scientists estimate that complete elimination can take up to 25 years, increasing the risk of health issues.
Research also indicates that PFAS are toxic even at very low levels. Unlike other harmful substances, they behave uniquely, partitioning into fat cells, blood, proteins, and organ tissues, meaning they can affect numerous organs and systems. Let’s explore how this translates into health impacts.
How PFAS affect Health throughout Life
- Hormonal Disruption at the Core: PFAS are endocrine disruptors, mimicking and interfering with the body’s natural hormones. This disruption influences critical biological processes such as growth, metabolism, behaviour and reproduction, impacting individuals differently depending on their life stage and physiological needs.
- Adults: The Long-Term Toll: For adults, PFAS exposure is linked to several chronic conditions that can lead to serious complications. By accumulating in and altering its cells, PFAS impair the liver‘s function, making it harder to regulate metabolism and eliminate toxins. This leads to inflammation, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. Eventually, it can progress to hepatic insufficiency or even liver failure. PFAS also collect in the kidneys, reducing filtration ability and potentially leading to kidney enlargement or failure. PFAs are also associated with thyroid dysfunction, which can trigger symptoms like fatigue, mood changes such as depression and irritability, and weight gain. Additionally, they interfere with reproductive hormones. Long-term exposure increases the risk of cancer, including those of the organs mentioned above, as well as prostate and testicular cancers. Research also shows that PFAS weaken the immune system, reducing antibody responses to infections and vaccines.
- Children: Increasingly Exposed: For decades, the emergence of new chemicals like PFAS has exposed recent generations to health issues at increasingly younger ages. Infants and children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of PFAS due to their developing bodies and higher water intake relative to body weight. Exposure can begin as early as in utero, impairing fetal growth. As children grow, PFAS interfere with brain development, leading to neurological and cognitive issues, such as lower IQ, learning disabilities, and motor skill impairments. Furthermore, by disrupting the thyroid, PFAS spoil energy regulation and cause behavioral changes. These alterations also contribute to early-onset high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and accelerated puberty, further underscoring the impacts on developmental milestones. In terms of the immune system, PFAS leave children more susceptible to infections and to reduced effectiveness of vaccines, which is critical for preventing childhood diseases and building robust immunity.
- Women: Risks Across Life Stages: Due to the complexity of their endocrine systems, women are also at higher risk, particularly in reproductive health. Not only has PFAS exposure been shown to reduce fertility, but during pregnancy, they can cross the placenta and appear in maternal blood, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord blood, affecting both the mother and fetus. To name a few of the harms, PFAS are linked to various pregnancy complications, including hepatotoxicity, excessive weight gain, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and preterm birth. For the fetus, PFAS can contribute to developmental delays and low birth weight. Breastfeeding may also expose infants, as some of these chemicals can pass through breast milk. Later in life, PFAS can be a factor in early menopause, posing distinct long-term health risks for women.
- High-Risk Groups: Certain groups of individuals, such as industrial workers, firefighters, and others who regularly handle PFAS-containing materials, face direct and prolonged exposure to these chemicals, putting them at greater risk of health issues.
Steps to Protect Your Family
After reading this, you might feel overwhelmed by the constant contact with PFAS in your daily life. But fortunately, solutions exist to help reduce your family’s exposure to these harmful chemicals, such as limiting the use or purchase of PFAS-containing products and packaging. Most importantly, you can address PFAS in your household tap water, whether you rely on a well or a city water source.
Bottled Water and Boiling: Not a Good Idea
While bottled water might seem like a safe alternative, it is not an ideal solution. PFAS contamination has also been detected in many brands, and the industry is largely unregulated. Additionally, it often contains harmful microplastics and may just be repackaged tap water. Boiling water is ineffective as well, as PFAS are resistant to high temperatures.
Get Your Water Tested
The first important step you can take to protect your family is to have your water tested for PFAS. Local and public data on PFAS in drinking water may be unavailable or not relevant, but professional laboratories can detect even trace amounts of these pollutants. By understanding the level of PFAS in your tap water, you can make informed decisions about how to address the contamination.
Ensure Safe Water: Household Water Filtration
As mentioned earlier, conventional public water treatment systems are not effective at removing PFAS. Likewise, common fridge or pitcher filters have limited capacity, require frequent replacement, and do not solve the issue for other purposes like cooking.
Advanced filtration methods, however, are proven to reduce PFAS levels effectively in your home:
- Carbon Filtration: Activated carbon filters remove PFAS through adsorption, where PFAS adhere to the porous media, achieving removal efficiencies of 90% to 99%.
- Reverse Osmosis (RO): RO systems are among the most effective technologies for PFAS removal. They use a multi-stage filtration process, including carbon, sediment filters and a semi-permeable membrane, to remove up to 99% of PFAS. These systems also remove other contaminants, such as heavy metals, chlorine, and bacteria, providing comprehensive water purification.
- Whole-House Water Filtration Systems: For complete protection, whole-house filtration systems treat water at the point of entry into your home, ensuring PFAS-free water at every tap. These solutions provide clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning while improving the efficiency of your appliances.
Ensuring access to clean, purified water is critical in reducing exposure to PFAS and safeguarding your family’s health. With Kent Water Purification Systems, find effective solutions to provide PFAS-free water in your home.
