In a recent study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), poly-fluoroalkyl chemicals — otherwise known as PFAs — have contaminated “nearly half” of drinkable water in the U.S.
The USGS tested 716 locations across the country, ranging from private homes to government-owned land, for 32 known PFAs. The water supply seemed most contaminated in urban areas, the East Coast, and the Great Plains. (READ MORE: The Jackson Water Mess Is a Case Study in Fighting Local Lefty Evil)
Some government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, have linked prolonged contact with PFAs to cancer, higher cholesterol levels, and decreased fertility in women. In other words, areas with the highest concentrations of people also have the largest amounts of known hazardous chemicals in the water supply.
However, the USGS assures Americans that this is not even the worst of the issue — the agency warns that there are thousands of other unidentifiable PFAs that may have contaminated drinking water.
“PFAs are a group of synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of common applications, from the linings of fast-food boxes and non-stick cookware to fire-fighting foams and other purposes,” the USGS states.
Because of their stable nature, some PFAs can take up to 1,000 years to degrade and are now often found in animals and breastmilk.
Unsurprisingly, the health consequences of these chemicals are disastrous. The International Journal of Obesity found a positive correlation between PFAs and body size, saying that the chemicals “may be an underappreciated contributing factor to obesity risk.”
Approximately 41.9 percent of American adults are obese — and these numbers have doubled since the 1980s, Forbes contributor Emily Laurence reports.
However, despite the risks, the EPA has suggested a ban on only six out of the 9,000 known PFAs.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in March proposed the first federal drinking water limits on six forms of PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated substances, which remain in the human body for years and don’t degrade in the environment,” STAT News reports. “A final decision is expected later this year or in 2024.”
While the EPA procrastinates banning a measly six toxic chemicals — which have positive correlations, if not outright causation, with cancer, hormone dysfunction, and obesity problems — the EU, for all of its faults, is already enacting a plan to ban 7,000 chemicals in Europe.
Why can’t the U.S. do the same?
Corporate interests — like those of the chemical company DuPont, which is currently being sued over PFA contamination — should not dictate the health of ordinary Americans.
One of the primary purposes of government is the protection of its citizens, especially from each other. Under Section 1 of Title 1, the United States Code includes corporations in its definition of “persons.” While there are limits to this “personhood” — i.e., corporations cannot vote — the government should and ought to consistently apply the law between them and private citizens.
Consequently, in matters that concern a common good or bring harm to another — such as contaminated drinking water — the government should intervene.
Regulating toxins should be a top priority for both the Food and Drug Administration and the EPA. The environmental and health consequences of lax chemical policies — resulting in both the contamination of the food and water supply — have most likely affected thousands of Americans in undiagnosed, untoward ways.
With nearly half the country registering as obese or diagnosed with cancer, and with autoimmune diseases on the rise, it is time to acknowledge that greater regulation on toxic chemicals is vital to the health and survival of not just the current generation but generations to come. Let’s regulate these companies — or at least incentivize cooperation — before it’s too late.
Elizabeth Crawford is a rising senior at Hillsdale College studying politics. A member of The American Spectator’s 2023 intern class, Elizabeth enjoys drinking good tea and plans to pursue a career in journalism.
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