Experts sound alarm over health hazard lurking in water supply: 'Wherever we look, we find it'
These substances can be found in thousands of everyday products and are increasingly showing up in our water.
The Water Services Association of Australia wants PFAS banned from non-essential consumer items.
"We need to reduce now, as much as possible, how much PFAS is in the environment," said Adam Lovell, the association's executive director. He added that water providers are "deeply concerned about the levels of PFAS that are being allowed to enter the country through thousands of everyday household and industrial chemicals and products."
A ban would help protect both people and wildlife from these dangerous substances. Ian Wright of Western Sydney University has found PFAS in platypuses, noting that "wherever we look, we find it."
His research shows these chemicals move up through the food chain, reaching humans. Meanwhile, New South Wales has identified 51 sites with major PFAS contamination that require ongoing cleanup.
For families, this ban would mean safer drinking water and lower future costs. Removing PFAS from water supplies is extremely expensive. Treating just 1 kilogram of PFAS that has entered a wastewater system costs between $4 million and $25 million. These costs eventually hit consumers through higher water bills.
Some industries may worry about finding safe alternatives for their products. However, supporters point to European countries that have already successfully implemented broad PFAS bans. They also note that the targeted approach of banning specific PFAS has backfired, with companies switching to similar but less-researched replacements.
"We need to ban them as a class," Nicholas Chartres of The University of Sydney said.
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Starting July 1, Australia will ban three PFAS, showing progress toward cleaner water for all. New drinking water guidelines with updated limits for these substances will be finalized later in 2025.
"Ultimately it comes down to the health evidence, and what our local advisory committee advises us is the most certain evidence to base the guideline values on," Kristal Jackson of the National Health and Medical Research Council said.
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