The Facts
A study from the US Geological Survey (USGS) released on Wednesday shows that 45% of drinking water in the US likely contains PFAS, also referred to as "forever chemicals." The study examined samples from taps around the country between 2016 and 2021.
PFAS are a group of thousands of chemicals that "bioaccumulate" instead of breaking down over time and have been linked to ailments such as kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol.
The Spin
Narrative A
We are witnessing an environmental and health disaster unfold in real time as more revelations about the deleterious effects of PFAS become known to the public. Polluting industries obfuscated the horrifying reach of their products, which include our own bloodstreams. We are due for a reckoning over the extent of corporate greed and negligence, and we need to mobilize our resources to mitigate the effects of PFAS asap and punish those responsible for their proliferation.
Narrative B
The push to clean up "forever chemicals" benefits from a scary name and compelling narrative of corporate greed, but PFAS are far from the most dangerous pollutant in our water supply. In most areas, disinfection byproducts are 1K times more prevalent and more toxic than PFAS but receive little mainstream attention. As concern over PFAS reaches a fever pitch, we risk diverting limited resources from the myriad of other, more realistic threats to our drinking water.
