A recently released study revealed that 95% of the U.S. population consumes water containing unsafe toxins.
The study, conducted by the University of New Mexico in collaboration with experts from across the U.S. and published in Nature, found that many wells and community water systems harbor hazardous levels of toxic substances, endangering some 320 million Americans.
At least six contaminants associated with neurological and developmental complications were found in drinking water, according to the study. Among the contaminants were arsenic, nitrates, uranium, and lead.
Chemicals known as PFAS were also detected.
The study provided the following details about the six named contaminants:
- Arsenic: Detected in more than 50% of community water systems. Prolonged exposure can damage DNA; weaken the immune system; and cause cancer cell formation, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
- Nitrates: Excessive nitrate consumption can hinder oxygen transport in the blood, causing methemoglobinemia, where hemoglobin carries oxygen but struggles to release it to body tissues.
- Uranium: Naturally occurring uranium in the Earth's crust enters water systems through geochemical processes. Approximately 50% of domestic wells in the U.S. contain detectable levels of uranium.
- Lead: Highly toxic and associated with adverse health effects across various body systems in adults and children. Repeated exposure can damage DNA, weaken the immune system, foster cancer cell formation, and lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
- PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances): Up to 80 million Americans are exposed to elevated levels of PFAS in their drinking water. The synthetic chemical compounds are associated with various health risks.
- Fracking Fluids: Fluids and wastewater from fracking can contain toxic, radioactive, and carcinogenic chemicals.
"There were several of us that have expertise in dealing with these particular contaminants, and we were seeing that they're not always at safe levels in drinking water sources for a number of reasons," said Johnnye Lewis, professor emerita in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, reported Mirage News.
"We're only really now starting to come up with good methods to assess what those [chemical] mixtures do," Lewis said. "There's always a lot of uncertainty because a mixture is not the same in one community as it is in the next."