Millions Of Americans May Be Drinking Toxic Water, Harvard Study Finds

The drinking water of some six million people across the country may have elevated levels of unregulated toxic chemicals widely used in the past in many household products — notably pans coated with Teflon — a Harvard-led study published Tuesday found.

Resistant to heat, water, and oil, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemicals that have been used for decades to coat fabric or food packaging, and to manufacture fire-fighting foams and Teflon pans. Now mostly phased out in the U.S., PFAS went unregulated and were often disposed in watersheds. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and have been linked to adverse health effects in animals, according to the EPA. In humans, PFAS have been linked to a wide range of illnesses, including birth defects, cancer, and immune system dysfunction, according to multiple studies....
https://thinkprogress.org/millions-of-americans-may-be-drinking-toxic-water-harvard-study-finds-5778082bf7aa#.48hazy9wp