How Scientists Decide Safe Levels for Chemicals in Drinking Water
Critical endpoints of PFOA and PFOS exposure for regulatory risk assessment in drinking water: Parameter choices impacting estimates of safe exposure levels.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The safe level for PFOA and PFOS was reduced by over 300-fold based on methodological choices, not new primary data.
Most people assume safety limits change because of new evidence of harm, but here the change came from rethinking how to interpret existing data.
Practical Takeaways
Consider using certified water filters that specifically remove PFAS, especially if you're pregnant or have young children.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The safe level for PFOA and PFOS was reduced by over 300-fold based on methodological choices, not new primary data.
Most people assume safety limits change because of new evidence of harm, but here the change came from rethinking how to interpret existing data.
Practical Takeaways
Consider using certified water filters that specifically remove PFAS, especially if you're pregnant or have young children.
Publication
Journal
Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP
Year
2023
Authors
Angie Perez, Michael H Lumpkin, Tiffany G. Kornberg, Allison Schmidt
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Claims (5)
The EPA changed how it calculates safe levels of PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, using new science methods, which led to much stricter safety limits—from 70 to nearly zero in some cases.
We might need to rethink how we calculate safety limits for certain 'forever chemicals' because babies in the womb and newborns are probably the most sensitive, and protecting them could already cover most differences between people.
Some chemicals called PAS are found in drinking water, and they can be harmful. Because of new research, the safe limit for these chemicals has been dropped way down—from 70 to just 4 tiny units per liter.
Scientists might be able to set better safe limits for toxic chemicals in drinking water by rethinking how they analyze immune system effects in studies.
Switching to more realistic body-based models for tracking chemicals like PFOA and PFOS might help scientists better figure out how much of these substances people are actually taking in.