New data shows PFAS are in half of the nation’s water supply

Wren Farrell / KALW

PFAS — short for poly-fluoroalkyl substances — are a group of chemicals that don’t break down naturally in the environment. They build up in the human body and are linked to a myriad of health problems, including hormone imbalances, reproductive issues, and cancer.

“They can pretty much cause harm in every system in the body,” says Tasha Stoiber . She’s a Senior Scientist for the research and advocacy organization Environmental Working Group.

“We're finding them in drinking water. We're finding them in streams, we're finding them in the air. We're finding them in the far reaches of the planet, because they just don't break down and they tend to to be transported around the environment. We are even detecting them in rainwater.”

PFAS are used in hundreds of