The medications we rely on daily may be leaving a toxic legacy in our water, as wastewater treatment plants struggle to filter out fluorinated chemicals linked to serious health risks.
Amudalat Ajasa reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Researchers found that wastewater treatment plants remove less than 25% of organofluorines, including PFAS, originating from commonly prescribed medications such as antidepressants and statins.
- The issue is especially acute during droughts, when treated wastewater is reused as drinking water, potentially exposing up to 23 million people.
- PFAS, persistent chemicals linked to cancer, infertility and immune system harm, are largely unregulated in wastewater, despite their increasing prevalence from pharmaceutical sources.
Key quote:
“Traditional wastewater treatment techniques that work pretty well for a lot of other wastewater-associated contaminants aren’t going to break apart a carbon-fluorine bond.”
— Carrie McDonough, assistant professor of chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University
Why this matters:
PFAS contamination poses significant risks to public health, particularly in drought-stricken regions relying on treated wastewater. The regulatory framework has yet to catch up to the science. As water scarcity drives more reliance on recycled water, the environmental and health stakes are rising.
Read more: After decades of disinformation, the US finally begins regulating PFAS chemicals.
