The Latest Unlikely Source of 'Forever Chemicals' Is a Memorial Day Menu Staple
Researchers with the American Chemical Society found in a new study that beer brewed in regions of the U.S. with forever chemicals in their tap water had the highest concentration of such chemicals
"I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours," research lead Jennifer Hoponick Redmon saidThe synthetic compounds known as "forever chemicals" that have been linked to cancer and other health problems have been found in a popular beverage — and researchers believe these compounds make their way in through drinking water.
A new study from the American Chemical Society published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology has found forever chemicals, or PFAS, have been found in beers from several regions around the U.S.
According to a press release from researchers, it was previously proven that forever chemicals are present in hundreds of tap water systems around the country. This new study found that "beers produced in parts of the country with known PFAS-contaminated water sources showed the highest levels of forever chemicals."
Research lead Jennifer Hoponick Redmon said in the release, "As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies was making its way into our pints."
Beer is made of about 90% water, and the rest is malt from grains such as barley, hops and yeast. The study found that almost two gallons of water are sometimes used to produce just one quart of beer. Although breweries usually have a water filtration system in place their tap water, "they are not necessarily effective at removing [forever chemicals]," and during production, tap water can potentially introduce "contaminants."
To conduct the study, Hoponick Redmon and her colleagues tested 23 beers, some produced by "U.S. brewers in areas with documented water system contamination, plus popular domestic and international beers from larger companies with unknown water sources."
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Forever chemicals were found in 95% of the beers they tested. The Environmental Protection Agency recently updated regulations for such chemicals — including perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — when they extended deadlines to reduce the amount of PFOS and PFOA in Americans' tap water earlier this month.
Although the study didn't name specific brands of beer, researchers found that beers brewed near Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina had the highest levels and largest mix of forever chemicals. Beer from St. Louis County, Mo. also had large amounts of PFAS present.
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According to Hoponick Redmon, this strong correlation between forever chemicals in tap water and locally-brewed beer has not yet been studied in U.S. retail beer. Researchers now hope that this data can spread awareness to beer companies, and that regulators will step in and try to limit consumers' exposure to forever chemicals. The study also highlights the "possible need for water treatment upgrades at brewing facilities," as well as updates to tap water treatment centers.
"I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours," Hoponick Redmon added.
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