Read the full article by Julie Zenderoudi (The New Lede)
“US drinking water could contain double the PFAS levels currently reported by regulators, according to a new study from Texas Christian University.
The study, published in Cell Reports Sustainability, used computer modeling to estimate that the latest reports from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) capture only 44% of the average combined concentration of 25 polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in US water systems.
PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ are known to persist in the environment and are linked to some cancers, high cholesterol, reproductive issues and other health problems.
Researchers analyzed more than 1.8 million PFAS measurement records from the EPA’s January 2026 release of monitoring data from water systems across the country. They found most individual PFAS test results in the dataset fall below the EPA’s minimum reporting levels (MRLs).”