Latest news with #JenniferHoponickRedmon
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Pfas detected in US beers in new study, raising safety concerns
All but one of 23 beers sampled for toxic Pfas 'forever chemicals' contained the compounds, new research finds, raising safety questions about one of the world's most popular beverages. The researchers checked craft beer from multiple states, major domestic brands, and several international labels. When possible, they compared the measurements to Pfas levels in the county water supply where each was bottled, revealing a 'strong correlation' that suggests contaminated water is driving most of the problem. The levels were often above some drinking water limits for Pfas. The study isn't meant to scare people away from drinking beer, the authors wrote, but 'inform brewers, consumers, and policymakers in making data-driven decisions about beer consumption and addressing risks'. 'If you want to still enjoy happy hour, then I think you should, but I hope our findings help future happy hours be relatively healthier,' lead author Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, a senior environmental health scientist for the RTI International non-profit, told the Guardian. Pfas are a class of about 15,000 compounds most frequently used to make products water-, stain- and grease-resistant. They have been linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems. They are dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they do not naturally break down in the environment. The levels detected in the beer were as high as 40 parts per trillion (ppt). Drinking water limits for several common Pfas compounds are between four and 10 ppt, though drinking water is more of a risk because people generally consume more of it. The highest levels were detected in beer brewed in the Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina, where the environment has been thoroughly contaminated by Pfas largely stemming from a Chemours chemical plant in Fayetteville. Beer produced there showed some chemicals made at the Chemours plant, and generally contained a wider variety of Pfas compounds. The levels in Cape Fear regions in which public water utilities have installed new filtration systems in response to Chemours' pollution showed lower levels than those in areas that have not. The highest levels of PFOA, a chemical for which federal regulators have said no level of exposure in drinking water is safe, were detected in beer made in Michigan's Kalamazoo county, which also had high levels of the compound in its water. The study also found a correlation between firefighting foam pollution hot spots and Pfas levels in the beer. Firefighting foam contains high concentrations of Pfas and is used by the military, airports and other sources, and is among the leading causes of water pollution. Two of the international brands – from Mexico and the Netherlands – showed no or low levels of the chemicals. Some of the Pfas could stem from other sources, such as wheat or barley contaminated from the use of tainted fertilizers, pesticides or water. Hoses and tubing are sometimes made with Pfas, as are some plastics and packaging. The study did not check those variables. Hoponick Redmon said brewers interested in reducing Pfas levels should install granular activated carbon or reverse osmosis filtration systems, which are the most effective for Pfas removal. Beer drinkers can protect themselves by checking for Pfas levels in the areas in which beer is bottled, and asking brewers if they use the filtration systems.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This PFA is for you: Surprising amount of ‘forever chemicals' found in some American beers, study finds
Beer drinkers should pay attention the next time they imbibe, as they may be consuming more than just alcohol, according to a new study from the American Chemical Society. It reports that some U.S. beers contain higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's maximum safe levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have come to be known as "forever chemicals" due to the fact that they don't naturally break down or pass through the body. Other recent reports have found PFAS are present in drinking water across the globe, and the study's author decided to see if those same chemicals were making their way into beer. "As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies were making their way into our pints. I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours," wrote lead researcher Jennifer Hoponick Redmon. Breweries do use water filtration and treatment systems to ensure only quality water is being used in their brews, but those systems don't typically block PFAS from entering into the system. Redmon and her team modified an EPA testing tool analyzing PFAS in drinking water and used it to test 23 U.S. beers. They selected beers from areas where water-system contamination has already been documented, as well as beers from areas with unknown water systems. According to the study's findings, some breweries in North Carolina, California, and Michigan had elevated levels of PFAS in their beers. In 95 percent of the beer tested, PFAS with perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid — both forever chemicals — were present. Beers from outside the U.S. were also tested. One beer from Holland and two from Mexico were tested, and were found to be less likely to contain PFAS. "Our findings indicate a strong link between PFAS in drinking water and beer, with beers brewed in areas with higher PFAS in local drinking water translating to higher levels of PFAS in beer, showing that drinking water is a primary route of PFAS contamination in beer," the research team determined. Last fall, researchers from the University of Birmingham, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, and Hainan University, Haikou, published a study that found that forever chemicals were present in water across the world. PFAS can accumulate in the bodies of living organisms and have been linked to severe health conditions. They are used in different products like pesticides, non-stick cookware, food packaging and cosmetics, and can enter wastewater through many day-to-day activities. Government regulation has banned some, while the use of others is still widespread, with their toxic effects yet to be fully investigated. They also revealed a wide range of PFAS contamination for target PFAS, beginning at 63 percent of bottled waters tested.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
This PFA is for you: Surprising amount of ‘forever chemicals' found in some American beers, study finds
Beer drinkers should pay attention the next time they imbibe, as they may be consuming more than just alcohol, according to a new study from the American Chemical Society. It reports that some U.S. beers contain higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's maximum safe levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have come to be known as " forever chemicals" due to the fact that they don't naturally break down or pass through the body. Other recent reports have found PFAS are present in drinking water across the globe, and the study's author decided to see if those same chemicals were making their way into beer. "As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies were making their way into our pints. I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours," wrote lead researcher Jennifer Hoponick Redmon. Breweries do use water filtration and treatment systems to ensure only quality water is being used in their brews, but those systems don't typically block PFAS from entering into the system. Redmon and her team modified an EPA testing tool analyzing PFAS in drinking water and used it to test 23 U.S. beers. They selected beers from areas where water-system contamination has already been documented, as well as beers from areas with unknown water systems. According to the study's findings, some breweries in North Carolina, California, and Michigan had elevated levels of PFAS in their beers. In 95 percent of the beer tested, PFAS with perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid — both forever chemicals — were present. Beers from outside the U.S. were also tested. One beer from Holland and two from Mexico were tested, and were found to be less likely to contain PFAS. "Our findings indicate a strong link between PFAS in drinking water and beer, with beers brewed in areas with higher PFAS in local drinking water translating to higher levels of PFAS in beer, showing that drinking water is a primary route of PFAS contamination in beer," the research team determined. Last fall, researchers from the University of Birmingham, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, and Hainan University, Haikou, published a study that found that forever chemicals were present in water across the world. PFAS can accumulate in the bodies of living organisms and have been linked to severe health conditions. They are used in different products like pesticides, non-stick cookware, food packaging and cosmetics, and can enter wastewater through many day-to-day activities. Government regulation has banned some, while the use of others is still widespread, with their toxic effects yet to be fully investigated. They also revealed a wide range of PFAS contamination for target PFAS, beginning at 63 percent of bottled waters tested.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Beer drinkers beware: Scientists find 'forever chemicals' exceeding EPA limits in American brews
Recent studies have found that some beers brewed in the US have high levels of "forever chemicals" and are considered above the allowed EPA limit. A team from the ACS' Environmental Science & Technology conducted a study to find out how polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or "forever chemicals" get into beers and how much they contain. "As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies was making its way into our pints. 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 said. Alcohol Deaths Have More Than Doubled In Recent Years, Especially Among Women While breweries have water filtration and treatment systems, these are not designed to prevent PFAS from entering into the batch. By modifying an EPA testing tool for analyzing levels of PFAS in drinking water, Redmon and her team tested 23 beers. Read On The Fox News App Not Only Does Beer Taste Great, There Are Health Benefits Associated With It, Too: Expert The team tested beers from areas with known documented water system contamination along with some other popular beers with unknown water sources. Through their research, it was found that beer brewed in North Carolina, California, and Michigan had elevated levels of this PFAS. The researchers found a strong correlation between PFAS concentrations in municipal drinking water and levels in locally brewed beer. In 95% of the beer tested, PFAS was found with perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid, two forever chemicals with recently established EPA limits in drinking water. International beers tested — one from Holland and two from Mexico — were less likely to have detectable PFAS. "Our findings indicate a strong link between PFAS in drinking water and beer, with beers brewed in areas with higher PFAS in local drinking water translating to higher levels of PFAS in beer, showing that drinking water is a primary route of PFAS contamination in beer," the research team article source: Beer drinkers beware: Scientists find 'forever chemicals' exceeding EPA limits in American brews
Fox News
5 days ago
- Science
- Fox News
Beer drinkers beware: Scientists find 'forever chemicals' exceeding EPA limits in American brews
Recent studies have found that some beers brewed in the US have high levels of "forever chemicals" and are considered above the allowed EPA limit. A team from the ACS' Environmental Science & Technology conducted a study to find out how polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or "forever chemicals" get into beers and how much they contain. "As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies was making its way into our pints. 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 said. While breweries have water filtration and treatment systems, these are not designed to prevent PFAS from entering into the batch. By modifying an EPA testing tool for analyzing levels of PFAS in drinking water, Redmon and her team tested 23 beers. The team tested beers from areas with known documented water system contamination along with some other popular beers with unknown water sources. Through their research, it was found that beer brewed in North Carolina, California, and Michigan had elevated levels of this PFAS. The researchers found a strong correlation between PFAS concentrations in municipal drinking water and levels in locally brewed beer. In 95% of the beer tested, PFAS was found with perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid, two forever chemicals with recently established EPA limits in drinking water. International beers tested — one from Holland and two from Mexico — were less likely to have detectable PFAS. "Our findings indicate a strong link between PFAS in drinking water and beer, with beers brewed in areas with higher PFAS in local drinking water translating to higher levels of PFAS in beer, showing that drinking water is a primary route of PFAS contamination in beer," the research team concluded.
