Map Shows Where Beers Are Most Contaminated With Chemicals: Study
A new study by researchers at RTI International has found that several American beers contain measurable levels of "forever chemicals," with the source traced primarily to municipal drinking water used in the brewing process. According to the study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were present in beers produced in areas already known to have contaminated water supplies.
Why It Matters
PFAS are a class of man-made chemicals used in non-stick cookware, water-repellent fabrics, and firefighting foams, among other products. Their nickname—"forever chemicals"—comes from their ability to persist in the environment and human body for years. The presence of these chemicals in beer highlights a broader issue about the vulnerability of food and beverage production to environmental contaminants.
What to Know
Researchers analyzed beers from nine states, including North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri and Colorado. International beers examined during the study were brewed in the Netherlands and Mexico.
Dozens of beers brewed in regions with known PFAS contamination were sampled. The study revealed that of the nine states analyzed, there were three counties with the "highest PFAS concentrations" in the beer samples. They are Chatham County, North Carolina; Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; and Kent County, Michigan.
Beers produced in areas such as the Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina and Kalamazoo, Michigan, were among those found to have elevated PFAS levels. According to RTI International researchers, these regions have documented PFAS presence in public water systems, making local breweries especially vulnerable to contamination.
A stock photo of craft beer.
A stock photo of craft beer.
WS Studio/Getty
About 18 percent of breweries nationwide operate in zip codes with PFAS-detectable water, according to the report. Smaller breweries, which often rely heavily on municipal water without additional treatment, showed some of the highest contamination levels.
"Beers selected based on their brewery location's proximity to known elevated levels of PFAS in drinking water had 15 times the odds of having one or more detections of PFAS compared to larger-scale U.S. or international beers selected based on consumer popularity without known PFAS sources in municipal water," the study said.
A map maintained by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) shows more than 8,800 locations across the U.S. with known PFAS contamination in water systems, reinforcing the risk to breweries in affected areas.
PFAS exposure has been linked to health problems, including hormonal disruption, immune system damage, and increased risk of certain cancers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These risks make the presence of PFAS in food and beverages a growing public health concern.
What People Are Saying
Study author Jennifer Hoponick Redmon told Newsweek: "As an occasional enjoyer of beer myself, I hope that our adapted testing method and findings provide a way to address PFAS so future happy hours are also relatively healthier ones. For water supplies with PFAS in them already, this means filtering water at the treatment plant or at the brewery. In the future, steps to prevent PFAS from entering water supplies will also help breweries operating downstream."
EWG on its website regarding its updated map: "The new data, along with reporting from states and other sources, confirm 143 million people in communities throughout the U.S. have drinking water that has tested positive for PFAS. A 2020 study published by EWG scientists estimated more than 200 million Americans are served by water systems with PFOA or PFOS in their drinking water at a concentration of 1 ppt or higher."
What Happens Next
The study's authors illustrated the importance of improved water filtration practices in the brewing industry, especially for small to mid-sized breweries. According to RTI International, consumers should be aware of where their beer is brewed and the local water quality conditions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
China rushes to build out solar, emissions edge downward
TALATAN, China -- High on the Tibetan plateau, Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world's largest solar farm when completed — 610 square kilometers (235 square miles), the size of the American city of Chicago. China has been installing solar panels at a blistering pace, far faster than anywhere else in the world, and the investment is starting to pay off. A study released Thursday found that the country's carbon emissions edged down 1% in the first six months of the year compared to a year earlier, extending a trend that began in March 2024. The good news is China's carbon emissions may have peaked well ahead of a government target of doing so before 2030. But China, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, will need to bring them down much more sharply to play its part in slowing global climate change. For China to reach its declared goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, emissions would need to fall 3% on average over the next 35 years, said Lauri Myllyvirta, the Finland-based author of the study and lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. 'China needs to get to that 3% territory as soon as possible,' he said. China's emissions have fallen before during economic slowdowns. What's different this time is electricity demand is growing — up 3.7% in the first half of this year — but the increase in power from solar, wind and nuclear has easily outpaced that, according to Myllyvirta, who analyzes the most recent data in a study published on the U.K.-based Carbon Brief website. 'We're talking really for the first time about a structural declining trend in China's emissions,' he said. China installed 212 gigawatts of solar capacity in the first six months of the year, more than America's entire capacity of 178 gigawatts as of the end of 2024, the study said. Electricity from solar has overtaken hydropower in China and is poised to surpass wind this year to become the country's largest source of clean energy. Some 51 gigawatts of wind power was added from January to June. Li Shuo, the director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, described the plateauing of China's carbon emissions as a turning point in the effort to combat climate change. 'This is a moment of global significance, offering a rare glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak climate landscape,' he wrote in an email response. It also shows that a country can cut emissions while still growing economically, he said. But Li cautioned that China's heavy reliance on coal remains a serious threat to progress on climate and said the economy needs to shift to less resource-intensive sectors. 'There's still a long road ahead,' he said. A seemingly endless expanse of solar panels stretches toward the horizon on the Tibetan plateau. White two-story buildings rise above them at regular intervals. Sheep graze on the scrubby vegetation that grows under them. Solar panels have been installed on about two-thirds of the land. When completed, it will have more than 7 million panels and be capable of generating enough power for 5 million households. Like many of China's solar and wind farms, it was built in the relatively sparsely populated west. A major challenge is getting electricity to the population centers and factories in China's east. 'The distribution of green energy resources is perfectly misaligned with the current industrial distribution of our country,' Zhang Jinming, the vice governor of Qinghai province, told journalists on a government-organized tour. Part of the solution is building transmission lines traversing the country. One connects Qinghai to Henan province. Two more are planned, including one to Guangdong province in the southeast, almost at the opposite corner of the country. Making full use of the power is hindered by the relatively inflexible way that China's electricity grid is managed, tailored to the steady output of coal plants rather than more variable and less predictable wind and solar, Myllyvirta said. 'This is an issue that the policymakers have recognized and are trying to manage, but it does require big changes to the way coal-fired power plants operate and big changes to the way the transmission network operates,' he said. 'So it's no small task.' ___
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
How to get back to a regular sleep schedule on time ahead of back-to-school season
Back-to-school means getting back on a regular sleep schedule, which isn't so easy after a summer of fun. Doctors said getting a good night's sleep is critical for students, and getting back on their sleep schedule should happen before school starts. Nikkya Hargrove's family has their back-to-school strategy all tucked in. "So, the week before school starts, we push back their bedtime about 30 minutes," she said. Gradually recalibrating that bedtime, doctors said, is crucial after a fun-filled summer when schedules are often looser. "I know as we're preparing for this, it's a stressful time for families. Your whole schedule is going to change as your kids get ready to go back to school," said Dr. Christopher Cielo, medical director in the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "We know that sleep's really important in the lives of children," said Cielo. "It can affect their mood, can affect their behavior, and can affect other health conditions that they have. And it affects virtually every aspect of their everyday life." The amount of sleep kids need depends on their age. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, preschoolers need up to 13 hours a day, including naps. Children aged six to 12 should sleep nine to 12 hours and teenagers benefit from eight to 10 hours a night. Doctors said it's important to keep a consistent evening routine, going to bed at the same time and staying away from electronics. "The light that comes out of the screen, and this is true for computer screens, televisions, mobile phones, can actually wake your brain up and sort of trick your brain into thinking that it's daytime and make it harder to go to sleep," Cielo said. Doctors said it's good advice for kids and parents alike. Hargrove said her twins have learned what happens when they stay up too late. "They get to recognize how they feel the next day when they wake up," she said. "And if they're groggy and they don't like how they feel, then they know, OK, I have to go to bed earlier."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
China rushes to build out solar, and emissions edge downward
Climate China Solar TALATAN, China (AP) — High on the Tibetan plateau, Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world's largest solar farm when completed — 610 square kilometers (235 square miles), the size of the American city of Chicago. China has been installing solar panels at a blistering pace, far faster than anywhere else in the world, and the investment is starting to pay off. A study released Thursday found that the country's carbon emissions edged down 1% in the first six months of the year compared to a year earlier, extending a trend that began in March 2024. The good news is China's carbon emissions may have peaked well ahead of a government target of doing so before 2030. But China, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, will need to bring them down much more sharply to play its part in slowing global climate change. For China to reach its declared goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, emissions would need to fall 3% on average over the next 35 years, said Lauri Myllyvirta, the Finland-based author of the study and lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. 'China needs to get to that 3% territory as soon as possible,' he said. China's emissions have fallen even as it uses more electricity China's emissions have fallen before during economic slowdowns. What's different this time is electricity demand is growing — up 3.7% in the first half of this year — but the increase in power from solar, wind and nuclear has easily outpaced that, according to Myllyvirta, who analyzes the most recent data in a study published on the U.K.-based Carbon Brief website. 'We're talking really for the first time about a structural declining trend in China's emissions,' he said. China installed 212 gigawatts of solar capacity in the first six months of the year, more than America's entire capacity of 178 gigawatts as of the end of 2024, the study said. Electricity from solar has overtaken hydropower in China and is poised to surpass wind this year to become the country's largest source of clean energy. Some 51 gigawatts of wind power was added from January to June. Li Shuo, the director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, described the plateauing of China's carbon emissions as a turning point in the effort to combat climate change. 'This is a moment of global significance, offering a rare glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak climate landscape,' he wrote in an email response. It also shows that a country can cut emissions while still growing economically, he said. But Li cautioned that China's heavy reliance on coal remains a serious threat to progress on climate and said the economy needs to shift to less resource-intensive sectors. 'There's still a long road ahead,' he said. One solar farm can power 5 million households A seemingly endless expanse of solar panels stretches toward the horizon on the Tibetan plateau. White two-story buildings rise above them at regular intervals. Sheep graze on the scrubby vegetation that grows under them. Solar panels have been installed on about two-thirds of the land. When completed, it will have more than 7 million panels and be capable of generating enough power for 5 million households. Like many of China's solar and wind farms, it was built in the relatively sparsely populated west. A major challenge is getting electricity to the population centers and factories in China's east. 'The distribution of green energy resources is perfectly misaligned with the current industrial distribution of our country,' Zhang Jinming, the vice governor of Qinghai province, told journalists on a government-organized tour. Part of the solution is building transmission lines traversing the country. One connects Qinghai to Henan province. Two more are planned, including one to Guangdong province in the southeast, almost at the opposite corner of the country. Making full use of the power is hindered by the relatively inflexible way that China's electricity grid is managed, tailored to the steady output of coal plants rather than more variable and less predictable wind and solar, Myllyvirta said. 'This is an issue that the policymakers have recognized and are trying to manage, but it does require big changes to the way coal-fired power plants operate and big changes to the way the transmission network operates,' he said. 'So it's no small task.' ___ Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press video producer Wayne Zhang contributed. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Solve the daily Crossword
