Reduce PFAS in Water
What Are PFAS and How Can We Safely Remove Them from Drinking Water?
Health officials have been raising alarms over the last several years about a toxic synthetic chemical labeled as PFAS . It is a dangerous chemical found in everything from our food to our drinking water. If a person consumes just a small amount of PFAS from their food or water, it has the potential to cause immunodeficiency problems, reproductive issues, liver damage, and even cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has claimed that PFAS can be found in the blood of almost 99% of all the people in the United States. The Environmental Working Group also released data showing that more than 20% of all Americans are likely consuming PFAS in their regular drinking water. If this is true, it means that up to 95 million Americans are inadvertently consuming PFAS from drinking their ordinary water.
These startling statistics demonstrate the critical importance of producing clean drinking water that is safe for Americans to consume. There are already numerous reports of PFAS-based contamination in the groundwater sources of multiple states like Ohio, Michigan, and North Carolina. More awareness must be raised about PFAS contaminants in drinking water so that a greater effort is made to eliminate these contaminants before too many people become exposed to them
What are PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS?
PFAS or Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of artificial chemicals used extensively in producing different consumer and industrial products. Since the 1940s, manufacturers have leveraged the grease and water-resistant properties of these chemicals in the production of non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foams, food packaging, and more.
PFAS are also popular for their capability to last long in the environment. They are not broken down by natural processes, which explains why they are called “ forever chemicals .” Their longevity also means they can persist in water, soil, and even the bodies of humans and animals for years. The increasing persistence and application of PFAS also come with the risk of possible adverse effects on the environment and human health
Here are the meanings of these acronyms
PFAS – Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
PFOA – Perfluorooctanoic Acid
PFOS – Perfluorooctane Sulfonate
What Is PFOA?
PFOA is a synthetic chemical used to make numerous food packaging and non-stick cookware products because of its resistance to grease and stains. Unfortunately, it can pose serious health risks to people, such as immunodeficiency problems, liver damage, and cancer.
What Are PFOS?
PFOS is another synthetic chemical that companies use to make certain types of products, such as stain repellants and firefighting foams because it is resistant to stains and grease. Sadly, too much exposure to PFOS can potentially increase the risk of someone suffering reproductive or developmental health conditions.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently formed the very first PFAS standard for drinking water . It is a firm standard that restricts the number of PFAS concentrations allowed in public water systems to help prevent too many people from getting sick or ill. Public water utility companies are required to monitor the levels of PFAS in their water to ensure they stay compliant with the standard.
If the PFAS levels are still too high in their water, the utility companies must treat their water within the next five years to lower the PFAS levels. They can use sophisticated water filtration technologies such as reverse osmosis filtration systems to achieve this objective
How Do PFAS Affect Health?
Frequent consumption or exposure to PFAS will cause the chemicals to build up in your body gradually because they break down in the body slowly. However, at some point, the PFAS chemicals could cause you to develop unwanted health problems, such as cancer.
It can take decades of PFAS exposure before you experience any adverse health effects. The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are continuously researching and studying PFAS chemicals to learn more about their long-term health effects on people.
Hormonal Disruptions
Studies have shown that PFAS chemicals interfere with the smooth operation of the endocrine system, which is responsible for hormonal regulation in the human body. The disruption in operation can cause hormonal imbalances, thus adversely impacting essential bodily functions like growth and metabolism.
Liver and Kidney Damage
Exposing the body to PFAS contaminated water for a long time often puts organs in the body at varying degrees of risk. Organs usually affected include the liver, thyroid, and the overall immune system. The exposure is also a common precursor to certain cancers, including testicular and kidney cancers.
Immune System Suppression
The immune system gets weak due to prolonged exposure to PFAS contaminated water. The accumulation reduces the natural ability of the body to fight diseases and infections, putting such individuals at a greater risk of illnesses.
Reproductive and Developmental Issues
Exposing a pregnant woman to PFAS can affect fetal development adversely, with particular impacts on the development of the immune system, developmental milestones, and birth weight. In addition, exposure to PFAS can also alter reproductive health negatively, translating to hormonal regulation and fertility problems.
Considering the possible health risks involved with exposure to PFAS contaminated water, homeowners must strive to put measures in place to protect their drinking water and, in turn, their families. These include testing and monitoring water regularly and adopting suitable water filtration systems
Can PFAS Be Completely Removed From Drinking Water?
PFAS is difficult to eliminate in drinking water because it is an extremely resilient chemical and does not degrade easily. Because of this, traditional water filtration and treatment techniques are not very effective in eliminating PFAS. That is why some more advanced water treatment technologies are being used to target PFAS and remove it from people’s drinking water. The most popular water treatment technology for achieving this objective is the Reverse Osmosis water filtration system .
A reverse osmosis water filter contains a semi-permeable membrane that can filter out PFAS and other common contaminants in drinking water. Multiple research studies have shown that it has the potential to eliminate up to 99% of the PFAS chemicals found in people’s drinking water. Of course, the specific type of reverse osmosis system and the amount of routine maintenance performed are contributing factors in how much PFAS gets removed.
Alternatively, you could try other water treatment methods to remove PFAS, such as ion-exchange resins and activated carbon filters . Just keep in mind that you’ll have to replace these filters on a regular basis to ensure they stay effective at removing PFAS.
Does Boiling Water Remove PFAS?
Many people believe that boiling water can destroy the PFAS chemicals in it. Unfortunately, there is no truth to this assumption. When you boil water, it actually causes the PFAS to become more concentrated. That means even when the water evaporates, the PFAS will still be present.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health , you can boil water to eliminate biological contaminants in your drinking water, but it won’t do anything to remove PFAS chemicals from the water. That is all the more reason to use advanced filtration methods like reverse osmosis to reduce or remove PFAS from your water.