IS YOUR Water Contaminated with PFAS? Find Out
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted December 14, 2023
Put DOWN that water glass and step away from the tap. Don’t drink another drop until you read this. Because what could be in there might turn your stomach.
In the 1940s, the U.S. began researching and manufacturing PFOA, the FIRST hazardous per- and poly-fluoroalkyl (PFAS) compounds. By the early 1950s, it was joined by PFOS, and others soon followed.
Many products we commonly use were soon being manufactured with or from PFAS. For example, furniture, carpeting, food packaging, cookware, and fire-fighting foam.
Soon, these long-lasting, harmful chemicals (nicknamed “forever chemicals”) began building up EVERYWHERE… even inside of US. In fact, it’s estimated that PFAS are in the blood of 97 percent of Americans.
But don’t worry. You can find out if there are PFAS in your water and lower the risk of exposure for you and your entire family…
PFAS are leaked into our rivers from factories, garbage dumps, and discarded products. And that, of course, means they end up in our drinking water, which is one of the main ways the chemicals enter our bodies.
Animal and human studies link PFAS to thyroid hormone disruption, liver issues, cancer, and elevated cholesterol. And in 2005, an EPA advisory panel concluded that PFOA is a “likely” human carcinogen.
While some PFAS were pulled off the market in the early 2000s, new ones have been created and are still finding their way into the environment and us.
If this makes you look at your water glass suspiciously, you SHOULD.
Knowing where your water comes from is the best way to determine how likely it is to be contaminated with PFAS.
You’re less likely to be exposed to PFAS through your drinking water if it comes from a public source rather than a private well. This is because, by law, utility companies have to regularly test for contaminants and tell the public the results.
The non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) has an excellent online tap-water database that gathers all this data into one spot. All you have to do is type in your zip code to get lots of useful information.
You can see what utilities serve your area, what contaminants have been found in the water, what health hazards they pose, and EVEN the kind of filtration can remove them.
If you have a personal well and suspect PFAS contamination, you can contact your state health department to inquire about having your well tested. You can also get at-home kits online to test the water coming out of your own tap.
Your BEST protection is to get a home water filter. As a wise doctor friend of mine is fond of saying, “You can either buy a filter or be the filter.”
You DON’T want to be the filter!
There are loads of good options on the market. A reverse osmosis filter will cover the most bases. But be sure to replace the filter as instructed.
P.S. Beware of this OTHER microscopic DANGER hiding in your water.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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