Tap Water Causes Cancer, But Millions Of Americans Still Drink It: Why?

A recent study has found that millions of people in America are drinking water containing poisonous industrial chemicals. These substances are linked with cancer and other health issues when ingested at levels higher than the official safety limit. For the first time, researcher utilized sophisticated mapping technology to name military bases, airports, industrial sites, and wastewater treatment plants as the main sources of contamination making researchers conclude that these contaminants goes to the drinking water and then to women's blood.

Independent.co.uk reported that researchers from Harvard University and other institutions used data from 36,000 water samples collected nationwide by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2013-2015. Researchers also said that the same chemicals were found to have lasting effects on the immune systems of adolescents who were exposed while in the womb and in their earlier life. Another study also claimed that mothers who breastfed shorter than the average time had higher exposure, greensciencepolicy.org reported.

The chemicals known as polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances or PFASs have been used for many years in different industrial and commercial products such as non-stick coatings on pans, food wrappers, water-repellent clothing and firefighting foam. However, it has recently been revealed that long term exposure to these substances has been associated to different health issues such as increased risks of developing kidney cancer, thyroid problems, increased cholesterol level and hormone imbalances.

"Virtually all Americans are exposed to these compounds," said Xindi Hu, the study's lead author. "They never break down. Once they are released into the environment, they are there." Only last year a group of scientists voiced their concern about the increasing number of similar chemicals in the environment, noting a "growing body" of evidence that they may cause cancer, obesity, low birth weight and even delay puberty.

The Washington Post also wrote Xindi Hu saying: "For many years, chemicals with unknown toxicities, such as PFAS, were allowed to be used and released to the environment, and we now have to face the severe consequences. "In addition, the actual number of people exposed may be even higher than our study found, because government data for levels of these compounds in drinking water is lacking for almost a third of the US population - about 100 million people."

Some product manufacturers have already stopped using these toxic products in the midst of the rising concern over their health effects. However, the chemicals have already stayed in people, wildlife and the environment. Three-quarters of the samples of PFAS-polluted water were found in 13 states with the highest levels in California, followed by New Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Georgia, Minnesota, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Illinois.