"Nearly 7 percent of Americans may be exposed to hazardous levels of “forever chemicals” through treated municipal wastewater, a new study has found.

These approximately 23 million people may be consuming these toxic compounds, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in their drinking water, according to the study, published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Nearly 7 percent of Americans may be exposed to hazardous levels of “forever chemicals” through treated municipal wastewater, a new study has found.

These approximately 23 million people may be consuming these toxic compounds, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in their drinking water, according to the study, published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They are doing so due to the failure of wastewater treatment facilities to effectively remove PFAS from their purified water streams, which ultimately reenter municipal drinking water networks, the study authors found.

And that figure is only likely to rise, since treated wastewater continues to make up an increasingly significant proportion of drinking water resources, the researchers warned."

Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill January 6, 2025. [2]

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"These Common Medications Could Be Releasing ‘Forever Chemicals’ Into The Environment" (Washington Post) [3]