Deep dive into "forever chemicals" in our tap water
With the disturbing news report this week about the harmful effects of PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’, that are found in Aussie tap water we thought it was about time to do a proper deep dive into what PFAS are, what they're doing in your tap water and what they mean for your health. What we found would truly keep you up at night!
First though, what is PFAS?
So PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (yeah that's a bit of a mouthful, I think we’ll stick to calling it PFAS!). It is a group of man-made chemicals widely used in Australia since the 1950s in various industrial and consumer products, such as firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, cosmetics and even sunscreens 🤯.
PFAS have been given the name ‘forever chemicals’ as these chemicals refuse to break down and will persist in the environment long after they’ve been produced. Some scientists have described it as the ‘next asbestos’ (yikes!!).
PFAS chemicals have been linked to a number of diseases, yet the Australian Government stubbornly refuses to end the use of these chemicals in Australia, even after they have been banned overseas 🌎.
So how the heck did they end up in my drinking water? 💧
If these chemicals are sounding so bad, giving their not so pleasant nicknames, why can’t they be taken out of our tap water? Great question!
Unfortunately, it's not as simple as removing it from all our tap water. PFAS don’t like staying in one place. They can travel long distances through soil, surface water and ground water. They then end up in the source of our water, such as dams. This water then goes through water treatment facilities to make our water ‘safe’. But PFAS once again slips through these processes.
On top of this, many scientists think we are actually underestimating the future effects of PFAS in our environment. A recent report found that much of our tap water exceeds PFAS regulatory limits. Even low levels of PFAS are hard to remove once they’re present.
A helpful guide we found helps Australians track how much ‘forever chemicals’ are in their water - PFAS Map.
What’s this new report saying then?
7 News broke the story this week that PFAS chemicals were found to harm the chances of fertility. New research from the University of Adelaide said that even very low levels that are present in drinking water do have detectable effects on fertility. These man made chemicals were found to cause high levels of DNA damage which could lead to long-term health issues and even miscarriages.
Is there any good news?? 🤔
That last bit was quite depressing but there is some light at the end of this deep dive. The study also revealed that water filtration machines with carbon filters and reverse osmosis can remove PFAS altogether!
Of course, PFAS are only one part of the tap water puzzle. Don’t forget, microplastics, fluoride, chlorine… just to name a few!
Our recommendation is to do your own research into the water you drink and make informed decisions on what's best for your lifestyle and health.
Find out more about this recent story here.