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Almost all beers in the US contain detectable levels of harmful “forever chemicals,” according to a new study.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are chemicals with water- and oil-repellent and flame-retardant properties that are used in a wide variety of applications, from plastics and non-stick coatings to firefighting foams. They have been shown to have carcinogenic, obesogenic and endocrine-disrupting properties and have been linked to a number of chronic-health conditions and diseases.
Although brewers typically use filtration and water-treatment systems when making beer, they are not designed to remove PFAS.
Researchers tested 23 different beers. They choose beers produced in regions with documented water contamination as well as popular domestic and international beers.
The researchers discovered a strong correlation between levels of pollution in municipal water and levels of PFAS in beer.
Ninety-five percent of the beers they tested had detectable levels of PFAS in them. These include perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), two forever chemicals with recently established EPA limits in drinking water.
Beers brewed near the Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina, an area known to have significant levels of PFAS pollution, had the highest levels and most diverse mix of forever chemicals, including PFOS and PFOA.
“As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies was making its way into our pints,” says research lead Jennifer Hoponick Redmon.
“I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours.”
Endocrine-disruptors and obesogenic chemicals have been a major focus of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s environmental and health campaigning, and are one of the main targets of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
If you want to learn more about these chemicals, read our detailed primer about them here.
