Over the years, experts have discovered several chemicals and elements in drinking water that are not healthy for humans. Unfortunately, the majority of these substances are man-made, and they include PFAS or PFOS. As researchers study the effects of these substances, their results show that PFAS can be toxic for humans. In the long-term, they can lead to health problems like cancer, high blood pressure, immunity issues, and cholesterol problems. To understand how PFAS can impact your health, you need to know more than what it does – you have to know where it comes from and how you can address the issue.
What is PFAS?
PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances is a group of chemicals that includes PFOS and PFOA. These are man-made chemicals and contain chains of fluorine and carbon. The chlorine and fluorine atoms have the strongest bond of all the chemicals. They are extremely stable,so that’s why some experts call them “forever chemicals.”
Manufacturers use them in different household products and other things like manufacturing non-stick cookware, furniture, and carpet stain cleaning agents. You can also find these chemicals in food packaging, fire-fighting foam, and industrial processes.
PFAS is an extremely stable chemical and doesn’t break down easily in the environment, like many other chemicals. These chemicalscan stay in our bodies (if they consume PFAS) and the environment for a long,long time.
Is PFAS Present in Water?
PFAS are present in the air, water, soil, and fish across the globe. It’s likely that even the water coming to your house contains a good amount of PFAS. Generally, drinking water contamination occurs when the water supply or your home is located near a facility that produces or deals with PFAS, such as wastewater treatment facilities or manufacturing plants. Water that might have PFAS is:
- Drinking water wells
- Public water systems
- Ponds and lakes
PFAS in the water is not good for your health, but they are not easy to remove using the standard filtration system. You need to opt for larger, premium quality water filtration systems that can remove PFAS from water.
Health Effects of PFAS
Though PFAS might help manufacturers develop amazing products, these chemicals can be toxic to human health. Continuously consuming these elements can lead to dangerous results. It can cause many health concerns, including the ones we have mentioned below.
High Blood Pressure
PFAS can be a cause of an increasing number of high blood pressure patients. Research shows that women with higher levels of PFAS in the blood are more prone to developing high blood pressure problems. The study indicates that these women are more likely to develop blood vessels and heart diseases.
A high level of PFAS can also lead to high blood pressure in pregnant women, known as preeclampsia. Since PFAS are commonly present in water, many young adults are at risk of developing high blood pressure issues.
Cancer
Though there are minimal researches that show PFAS can result in cancer in women, some studies show PFAS can lead to the development of cancer in animals.
There are several health risks of PFAS, and it greatly impacts human health. Therefore, experts believe that it might be one of the causesof cancer. Some experts have done research on people working in facilities using PFAS. However, they didn’t find any signs of cancer in these patients. Hence, more research is needed to prove that PFAS doesn’t lead to testicular, prostate, or kidney cancer.
Other Health Effects of PFAS
Some health issues that can occur due to PFAS are:
- Higher cholesterol levels
- Thyroid problems
- Development delays and effects in children
- Impacts your immunity
To prevent developing any health issues, you should consider installing a quality water treatment system.
What Steps Your should you take if PFAS in Your Drinking Water?
If you own a well, it’s important to contact an expert who can offer guidance before you make a decision. Treating well water is easier when you know what other minerals, contaminants, and elements are present in the water.
Homes that receive water directly from the public water supply need to understand the quality of water they get. You can research the level of PFAS in your neighborhood’s water supply. You can also check the local water board’s websitefor guidance on whether the water contains PFAS.
Besides that, you also need to know that:
- Boiling water doesn’t reduce PFAS present in the water.
- Bottled water usually doesn’t contain PFAS, so you don’t need to test for it. If you want to confirm, you can ask the manufacturers for lab results that show PFAS levels in their water.
Methods to Remove PFAS from Water
Another thing that you can do is to opt for an activated carbon water treatment system to remove PFAS. These technologies come with activated carbon that absorbs natural organic compounds and synthetic chemicals in drinking water, effectively eliminating unpleasant odors and tastes. The absorption process that occurs in these systems is both a chemical and physicalprocess that traps a substance, such as PFAS.
The primary reason activated carbon is so effective is thatit’s a porous material. Activated carbon water systems also offer large surface areas that allow contaminations to absorb. Also, activated carbon (GAC) comes from organic compounds with high carbon content, such as lignite, coal, and wood. Besides that, the element is always used in granular form, which gives it the name granular activated carbon (GAC).
The effectiveness of GAC depends on the type of carbon used, construction of the carbon bed, level of PFAS present, and flow rate of water. Another thing that impacts the results is the number of contaminants and PFAS present in the water. For instance, GAC can easily remove longer-chain PFAS compared to shorter-chain PFAS.
Some people also usePAC or powdered activated carbon, which is similar to GAC. However, PAC is smaller in size than GAC. Due to the size, PAC isn’t as effective. You’ll need to add it to the water directly to get rid of the PFAS and other contaminants in the water. They are not economical and hard to manage. Therefore, homeowners prefer GAC water filtration system.
At Pure Water System, we recommend people to opt for Wolf PackConditioner, Reionator Pro Ultra, and Sierra Spring Water Maker to remove PFAS in water. These sytem use the high-tech methods to make your water free from chemicals like PFAS. You can opt for these systems,if you are looking for cutting-edge technologies with promising results.
Bottom Line
In a nutshell, PFAS are commonly present in the water around the globe. And to make matters worse, there are no laws or policiesholding local waterauthorities accountable when it gets in the water. While it’s also true that you can find PFAS in different things like seafood, PFAS exposure through water is more common.
It’s best to practice ways to prevent the consumption of water. You can do this by installing the right filtration systems like an activated carbon system inyour homes. With decades of experience and an impressive range of water treatment solutions, Reionator is one of the top choices for homeowners in Reno.
Sources
https://health.ri.gov/water/about/pfas/#:~:text=Is%20it%20OK%20to%20use%20the%20water%20for%20cooking%3F,like%20grease%2Dresistant%20food%20packaging.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/11/08/what-are-pfas-chemicals-and-should-i-be-freaking-out-about-them
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/pfas-contamination-safe-drinking-water-study
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-pfas
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/pfos.aspx
https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-water-treatment-technologies#:~:text=Activated%20carbon%20treatment%20is%20the,in%20drinking%20water%20treatment%20systems