PFAS in drinking water increases rates of certain cancers, new study confirms

Also known as "forever chemicals," the research of cancer incidents collected between 2016 and 2021 showed up to 33 percent higher rates of certain cancers.

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In a new study conducted across 1,080 counties in the United States, scientist linked exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in drinking water to cancer. Also known as “forever chemicals,” the research of cancer incidents collected between 2016 and 2021 showed up to 33 percent higher rates of certain cancers.

The ecological study determined that per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water through examination of the associations between PFAS in drinking water measured in two waves (2013–2015 and 2023–2024) are estimated to contribute to between 4,000 and 7,000 cases of cancer each year.

“We found that PFAS in drinking water was associated with cancers in the organ system including the oral cavity/pharynx, lung, digestive system, brain, urinary system, soft tissue, and thyroid,” the study wrote. “We also observed sex differences in the associations between PFAS and cancer risks. This is the first ecological study that examined PFAS exposure in drinking water and various cancer risks.”

The study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, found that “PFAS was associated with cancers in the urinary, brain, leukemia, and soft tissues” among males and “PFAS was associated with cancers in the thyroid, oral cavity/pharynx, and soft tissue” among females.

“These findings allow us to draw an initial conclusion about the link between certain rare cancers and PFAS,” Shiwen Li, researcher at the Keck School of Medicine, said. “This suggests that it’s worth researching each of these links in a more individualized and precise way.”

While PFAS, which are synthetic chemicals found in consumer products and fire fighting foam, have accumulated in the environment since the 1940s because of their “resistance to degradation,” drinking water is the major source of exposure for most Americans, according to the study. The International Agency for Research on Cancer labeled one of the chemicals, PFOA, as a carcinogen.

A major takeaway from the study showed the largest effect “between the chemical PFBS (perfluorobutane sulfonic acid)—a material introduced as a replacement for another type of forever chemical—and cancers of the mouth and throat” with an incidence rate that was 33 percent higher in the presence of PFBS, Science Alert reported.

The study concluded that while potential toxicity of a chemical is one thing to consider in evaluation of the risks, the degree of exposure is also something that health authorities need to assess.

“Certain PFAS that were less studied need to be monitored more, and regulators need to think about other PFAS that may not be strictly regulated yet,” Li said.

Read the full study, Associations between per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and county-level cancer incidence between 2016 and 2021 and incident cancer burden attributable to PFAS in drinking water in the United States, here.

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