Read the full article by Liz McLaughlin (WRAL)
“Nearly 200 million Americans are served by drinking water systems where toxic forever chemicals have been detected, according to a new analysis released Thursday, even as the Environmental Protection Agency moves to weaken some federal drinking water protections.
The Environmental Working Group analyzed EPA and state testing data and found PFAS in water systems serving an estimated 197 million people, 23 million more than previously identified in federal testing.
The findings don’t necessarily mean contamination is getting worse. More comprehensive testing is helping scientists understand the scale of a problem that has persisted for decades.
‘There’s two things going on here,’ said David Andrews, chief science officer at the Environmental Working Group. He explained that testing has improved and concentrations of some older PFAS chemicals have declined as manufacturers phased them out.
But scientists have also discovered that these chemicals can pose health risks at extremely low concentrations.”…