Californians have been warned their drinking water could potentially be dangerous, as it has been found to contain high levels of toxic chemicals.
A study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) of 74 Californian communities determined that at least four in ten were over the limit recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA imposes a restriction of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) of highly-toxic chemicals known as PFAS in drinking water, reported the Daily Mail.
These substances are used in the chemical manufacturing of oil- or water-repellent products, such as non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabric. They are known as ‘forever chemicals’ as they do not decompose, which is likely to be why such high levels were found in water in the western American state.
However, exceeding the cap set by the EPA puts 7.5 million residents at risk from developing cancer, reproductive difficulties, and problems with their immune system.
A paper looking at the 22 carcinogenic contaminants found in US drinking water and their potential cancer risk to those who drink it was published in the journal Heyliyon.
Lead author of the study Sydney Evans, who is also a science analyst at EWG, said: “Drinking water contains complex mixtures of contaminants, yet government agencies currently assess the health hazards of tap water pollutants one by one.”
It was added: “In the real world, people are exposed to combinations of chemicals, so it is important that we start to assess health impacts by looking at the combined effects of multiple pollutants.”
The Californian study found the Marine Corps base of Camp Pendleton near San Diego, and the water found in Corona, Oroville, Sacramento and Rosemont had the highest levels of PFAS. Some of the samples even reached 820 ppt, which is nearly 12 times above the recommended level.
As these chemicals do not break down in nature, it is unlikely this figure will lower in the future, making it unsafe for Californians to drink their local water.
The EWG believes that even the recommended cap of 70 ppt is too high as small doses can be quite toxic as well. While there has not been conclusive research into how PFAS affect humans, studies involving animals show a link between the chemicals and kidney and thyroid cancers, as well as other conditions.
According to the report’s authors, the proposed ‘action plan’ to deal with the problem of PFAS is too “weak and toothless to address the growing contamination crisis”.
This is concerning given that water with the legal limit of PFAS “can still harm human health”, the EWG’s vice-president for science investigations Plga Naidenko stated.
She said: “We need to prioritise source water protection to make sure that these contaminants don’t get into the drinking water supplies to begin with.”
These include arsenic, disinfection by-products, and radioactive elements, such as radium and uranium. All of these increase the chance of developing cancer for those who consume the affected water.
Indeed, a previous study by the EWG found that toxic pollutants from Californian drinking water alone could result in more than 15,000 cancer cases.
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