The Latest Unlikely Source of 'Forever Chemicals' Is a Memorial Day Menu Staple
"Forever chemicals," or synthetic compounds that have been linked to cancer and other health problems, have now been found in beer
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."
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
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.
is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
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.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
14 minutes ago
- CNET
Want to Cut Down Your Electricity Bill? Try Turning Off the Lights
As summer temperatures continue to break records each year, staying cool is more difficult than ever before. A fan or air conditioner can keep you comfortable, but it comes with a higher electric bill. With rising energy costs, you might be looking for easy ways to save money and stay on budget. Thankfully there's an easy hack that can help lower your energy bill without melting in the process. A recent CNET survey found 78% of Americans are stressed about high home energy bills. When you add the cost of rising rent, higher mortgage rates, pricier groceries and tariffs raising the cost of goods across the board, there are plenty of reasons to stress. However, even when everyday items have become more expensive, there are some ways to make your budget stretch a bit further. One of the easiest and most effective ways to save some money and reduce your energy bill is by turning off your lights when you aren't using them. Keep reading to learn why it's important to turn off the lights and how much money this simple habit can save you. For more, we also recommend investing in a smart plug or a smart thermostat, adjusting the temperature of your thermostat and weatherstripping to save extra cash.) Why should you turn off the lights? You've probably been told time and time again the importance of conserving energy, but you might be wondering why it's so important. First, reducing your energy usage by turning off your lights is an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint. Electricity generation is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. By turning off your lights when you aren't using them, you can do your part to reduce carbon emissions and therefore help the environment. Second, reducing your home's energy usage doesn't just help the environment. It also helps your wallet. Turning off lights when you don't need them can help to reduce your electricity bills. You'll also extend the life of your light bulbs, which will save you money as well. Pro savings tip Buying a smart lightbulb can help you conserve energy by setting your lights to go on and off at certain times, so no more falling asleep with all the lights left on overnight. The Wiz tunable white LED smart bulb is CNET's pick for the best white-light smart bulb. Details $9 at Amazon How much money can you save? The amount you can save on your electricity bill by turning off your lights depends on the type of light bulb you use. You can figure your potential savings using the light bulb's wattage. Let's say you have a light bulb that's 40 watts, meaning in one hour, the bulb will use 0.04 kWh. Then, you can use your electricity price — which you can find on your most recent utility bill — to figure out how much you'll save for that hour. In the case of the 40-watt bulb, if you pay an electricity rate of 10 cents per kWh, your savings by turning that bulb off for one hour would be 0.4 cents. It's easy to see that number and think it's simply not worth it to turn off your lights more often. After all, what difference does 0.4 cents make? First, remember that estimate is for a 40-watt bulb. If you have higher-wattage light bulbs, the savings will be greater. Next, that estimate uses an energy price of 10 cents per kWh, but in many areas, the price of electricity may be higher than that. Finally, our estimate looked at the savings of turning off one bulb for one hour. You likely have many light bulbs in your house, and there are far more than just one hour in a month. So when you calculate the savings of turning off all of your light bulbs for many more hours per month, your savings will increase significantly. When should you turn off the lights? You can save money by turning off your lights and fans whenever you don't need them. During the spring and summer, it's a good idea to check in on the peak and off-peak energy hours in your area. Many providers use a time-of-use electricity plan where energy costs rise during peak hours, or hours where the grid is facing higher demand, and lower during off-peak hours. These hours change depending on the seasons, so transitioning between seasons is a good time to check in on when you're paying the most for energy. During peak hours, usually during the afternoons in the summer while in the early morning and in the evenings after sunset during winter, it's helpful to be especially diligent in turning off lights and other electronic appliances when you leave a room to cut down on your energy bill. Thankfully, during the spring and summer, Daylight Saving Time is in effect, which means more daylight and less need to have the lights on in your home. A small change can yield big savings Turning off the lights and other electric appliances when you aren't using them is one of the most basic steps you can take to reduce your energy usage and save money on your electricity bill. Just remember that even a small change can add up to big energy savings for you and also help reduce your carbon footprint. More money-saving tips for you
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tourist Leaps into 18-Foot Pit, Damages 2,000-Year-Old Statues Before Being Apprehended
A male tourist jumped into a pit at the Museum of the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in Shaanxi, China, on May 30 The man was described as a 30-year-old "domestic tourist" by local authorities, who said he struggled with "mental illness" The man was later contained by security and the museum was shut down for the rest of the dayMillennia-old artifacts have been damaged after a tourist visiting the Museum of the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in Shaanxi, China, leapt over a guardrail and into a pit. On May 30, the tourist fell 18 feet into one of the pits where the figures of the historic Terracotta Army are located. The man was seen falling before getting up and damaging the statues. The man 'pushed and pulled' the clay warriors and two were 'damaged to varying degrees,' local authorities told The Guardian in a statement. In footage obtained by PEOPLE, the man was then videotaped laying down on the ground holding his arms over his head. Authorities told The Guardian that the man was 'controlled' by security at the scene. Eyewitness Xiao Lin told NewsFlare that the tourist jumped into the excavated pit, landing on a middle level before jumping further down to the bottom. Lin said fellow tourists shouted 'What are you doing?' to the man. 'Later, the museum was closed, and we were evacuated by staff,' Lin told NewsFlare. Authorities told The Guardian that the perpetrator was a 'domestic tourist' and identified him as a 30-year-old man. The Guardian said the man is known to 'suffer from mental illness' and the case is currently being investigated. PEOPLE has reached out to local authorities for comment on the situation and has not heard back. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta soldiers discovered in 1974 by a group of local farmers. The 'funeral art' of around 8,000 different figures is believed to have been created sometime in the 200s BC and guarded the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The museum was constructed over top of the discovery to display the impressive find to the public. Despite the damage, the Museum of the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is currently still open to the public. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Opinion - The CDC's injury center is saving lives — but for how much longer?
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data last month showing that drug overdose deaths declined by nearly 27 percent in the U.S. in 2024 compared to 2023, I felt three competing emotions. The first emotion was joy. As the executive director of the Safe States Alliance — a partnership of more than 800 professionals and students dedicated to injury and violence prevention — I work with individuals across the country dedicated to saving lives. Here was proof positive of their impact: the equivalent of 81 American lives saved every day over an entire year. The second emotion was anger. The Trump administration is proposing to eliminate the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the leading federal agency that helps states and communities prevent deaths from drug overdose and other threats. At a time when the U.S. is experiencing a welcome and long-overdue decline in drug overdose deaths, a decline that public health experts attribute to the very programs the administration seeks to dismantle, this progress is clearly threatened. The third emotion was hope. And for that, I have Hayley Jelinek to thank. Jelinek is a health educator at the Two Rivers Public Health Department in Kearney, Nebraska. From running game show-style medication safety training sessions at senior centers to delivering Narcan to local bars — she once distributed more than 250 boxes of Narcan in 90 minutes — Jelinek works relentlessly to teach people how to prevent and treat drug overdose. Jelinek is a remarkable credit to her profession, but her work is also deeply personal. Four years ago, her son, Ehan, who grappled with mental health and substance misuse issues for more than a decade, died of acute intoxication from tianeptine, an over-the-counter supplement known as 'gas station heroin.' Tianeptine is marketed as a mood enhancer that can improve cognitive function. In reality, it is a dangerous and addictive opioid agonist that can kill on first use. As Jelinek says, 'Not one more kid should have to die from this stuff and not one more mom should have to go through what I've gone through.' The Trump administration should heed these words. For as much as we all celebrate the recent declines, more than 57,000 people in the U.S. still succumbed to drug overdoses last year. We're nowhere near out of the woods yet. But the administration isn't treating this seriously. In testimony before congressional committees the day after the CDC announced the new overdose death data, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who is attempting to fire 20,000 federal workers, claw back billions of dollars from local health departments and stop federal research funding on issues like addiction and substance use — claimed that this 'restructuring' was designed to improve Americans' health. He also suggested that the administration's focus on mental health would compensate for the loss of any overdose prevention programs. He could not be more wrong. And it's why so many organizations are fighting back. Eliminating the CDC's injury center would dismantle the CDC's capacity to address not only the opioid crisis but also a range of other public health issues, from drowning to suicide. For overdose prevention alone, it would result in the loss of approximately $280 million in annual support to 90 health departments and $14 million for tribal overdose prevention efforts. The injury center's Overdose Data to Action program distributes naloxone, improves surveillance and guides state and local responses to the opioid crisis, enabling targeted responses to emerging drug threats. CDC is also the only federal agency working to reduce overdoses with access to laboratory capabilities. It's a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, treatment and harm reduction strategies. If President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have their way, all of that work would be gone. Eliminating the injury center would be akin to pulling firefighters off the scene while the fire is still burning. Any 'savings' would pale in comparison to the lives lost and families destroyed. Ehan was a devoted son, a loving husband and a proud dad to two bonus daughters. He made friends easily and liked to be silly, making up songs at the grocery store and lifting his girls upside down so they could walk on the ceiling of his front porch at home. He bravely dealt with a hard set of health challenges and, at 26, had his whole life in front of him. Jelinek carries him in her heart every day, crisscrossing Kearney and surrounding areas to make sure other parents don't lose their children. If the administration and Congress save the CDC's Injury Center, they would be honoring Ehan and supporting the type of work that Jelinek and so many others do each day. If it is eliminated, more parents will bury more children. The stakes could not be any higher, and the choice could not be any clearer. I urge our leaders to make the right call. Sharon Gilmartin is the executive director of the Safe States Alliance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
