'Forever chemicals' found at unhealthy levels in most rainwater, study finds
As Austin's primary water supplier gears up to test to see if human-created, cancer-causing chemicals are polluting our drinking water, a European study published last week found those same "forever chemicals" have made it unsafe to drink rainwater in most parts of the world.
Researchers at the University of Stockholm last week published a study in the peer-reviewed journal called Environmental Science about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, and their presence in rainwater.
The study found PFAS — a group of about 12,000 chemicals used in firefighting foam, waterproof cosmetics, heat-resistant clothing, stain-resistant furniture and non-stick cookware — exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water health advisory levels in the vast majority of rainwater tests.
More:Austin Water to test for human-made chemicals linked to cancer, fertility issues
Only two of those rainwater tests, in remote parts of Tibet and Antarctica, did not exceed those health advisory levels, the study found.
"Humans residing in industrialized areas of the world do not often drink rainwater in modern life, but it should nevertheless be a reasonable expectation that the environment is clean enough that rainwater and mountain stream water fed by precipitation is safe to drink," the researchers said in the study.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that PFAS is likely in the bloodstreams of 97% of Americans. This is concerning because the compounds, called "forever chemicals" because they can take thousands of years to break down in the environment, are linked to cancer, liver damage, fertility issues and thyroid disease.
The effects of these lab-created substances are worldwide, with the CDC now studying how PFAS could have worsened coronavirus symptoms for some groups.
It was just a few weeks ago that the EPA lowered the threshold for the level of exposure at which illness is expected to occur in its updated health advisory. And because that threshold dropped from the previous 2016 health advisory, many scientists are concluding that the EPA now deems PFAS more toxic than known just years ago.
Gary Chauvin, environmental policy program manager for Austin Water, said last month that the municipal water provider is preparing to test for 29 of the most common PFAS chemicals in the city's drinking water sources. The testing will be conducted where Austin Water collects water to treat before consumption, according to Chauvin.
In 2013, Austin Water tested for six of the chemicals where drinking water is collected locally and all showed up negative, he explained.
"Austin Water is closely following the emerging research about PFAS and public health as well as the information EPA is providing and the actions they are taking," Austin Water officials said in a statement Thursday. "As a public water system, protecting public health and providing safe drinking is our highest priority. We work to meet federal and state drinking water regulations and standards at all times."
Austin Water officials added that they are not aware of any plans by the EPA or Texas to require rainwater PFAS tests in the near future, but added that they currently meet "all regulatory requirements for drinking water monitoring."
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the former site of Bergstrom Air Force Base, is the only known area in Travis County that has groundwater PFAS pollution, according to a map provided by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that helps address toxic chemicals in the environment.
The Environmental Working Group suspects that the source of the contamination is firefighting foam used not only when it was a military base but also today as a requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration. However, Austin Water suspects that the airport contamination does not pose any threat to the city's drinking water because it is located downstream from those sources.
"We're really fortunate with Lake Travis and Lake Austin, our water sources, that we don't have any major activity that we believe poses a threat," said Brian Haws, Austin Water's operations manager for wastewater treatment, about the upcoming tests to local drinking water. "In some areas of the country, you have a history of a lot of industrial activity in the watershed, which over time can contribute to contamination."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Study: 'Forever chemicals' found at unhealthy levels in most rainwater
