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A new study from Yale School of Public Health found that \u201cforever chemicals\u201d found in tap water may spread cancer.<\/p>\n
The per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in tap water accumulate in the human body, posing health risks.<\/p>\n
\u201cPFAS make up a prevalent class of persistent organic pollutants of increasing public concern worldwide,\u201d said<\/a> one of the authors. \u201cThey have been frequently detected in the environment, such as in drinking water, indoor dust, cleaning products, and coatings.\u201d<\/p>\n The study analyzed the effects of colon cancer cells being exposed to a \u201cforever chemical\u201d solution.<\/p>\n Two types of colon cancer cells were used: an unmutated, \u201cwild-type\u201d cell, and a cell that carried a mutation known to become a cancerous tumor.<\/p>\n According to the research, bathing in the chemical mixture \u201cboosted the cells\u2019 migration ability,\u201d indicating the possibility of metastasis.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t prove it\u2019s metastasis, but they have increased motility, which is a feature of metastasis,\u201d said Caroline Johnson, Ph.D.<\/p>\n Research from U.S. Geological Survey found<\/a> that at least 45% of tap water in the United States is contaminated with \u201cforever chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUSGS scientists tested water collected directly from people\u2019s kitchen sinks across the nation, providing the most comprehensive study to date on PFAS in tap water from both private wells and public supplies,\u201d USGS research hydrologist Kelly Smalling\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe study estimates that at least one type of PFAS \u2013 of those that were monitored \u2013 could be present in nearly half of the tap water in the U.S. Furthermore, PFAS concentrations were similar between public supplies and private wells,\u201d Smalling continued.<\/p>\n Urban areas showed the largest concentration of PFAS, primarily in the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central and Southern California.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n