A recent study reveals that many U.S. prisons use water potentially contaminated with toxic PFAS chemicals, posing serious health risks to over a million inmates.
Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- New research highlights that nearly 50% of US prisons use water contaminated with PFAS, affecting around 1 million inmates, including 13,000 juveniles, who lack the means to protect themselves.
- PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," are linked to severe health risks such as cancer and liver issues. The incarcerated population, already in poorer health, faces heightened vulnerability.
- The study calls for urgent testing and monitoring, citing a specific women’s prison near Tampa, Florida, with water contamination levels 170 times above health guidelines, yet inmates were not informed or provided with safer alternatives
Key quote:
"We need to think about who is exposed and who has the least agency to mitigate their exposure – that's why this is such a unique population."
— Nicholas Shapiro, study co-author at UCLA
Why this matters:
Systemic neglect and environmental injustice converge in the nation's prisons, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. The health implications of PFAS exposure necessitate immediate action but all too often such studies are not acted upon.
