Researchers led by the University of Arizona published results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They studied every birth in New Hampshire from 2010–2019 and compared mothers receiving water from wells downstream of PFAS-contaminated sites with similar mothers using upstream wells. The downstream group showed higher first-year infant mortality, more preterm births (including births before 28 weeks), and more very low birth weights (including below 2.2 pounds).
The study concentrates on long-chain PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, which are no longer made in the U.S. but remain in soil and leach into groundwater. Extrapolating to the contiguous United States, the authors estimate social costs of at least $8 billion a year for babies born each year. These costs cover medical care, long-term health effects and reduced lifetime earnings.
The researchers say cleanup, regulation and point-of-use filters could yield important health and economic benefits, and they note that activated carbon filters can remove long-chain PFAS.
Difficult words
- downstream — In the direction water flows from a site
- upstream — In the opposite direction of water flowupstream wells
- infant mortality — Number of babies who die in infancyfirst-year infant mortality
- preterm birth — Birth that happens before full pregnancy termpreterm births
- birth weight — How much a baby weighs at birthvery low birth weights
- groundwater — Water that exists under the earth's surface
- extrapolate — To estimate results for a larger areaExtrapolating
- social cost — Total economic harm to society from an eventsocial costs
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which of the study's suggested actions (cleanup, regulation, or point-of-use filters) would you support to reduce PFAS in drinking water, and why?
- How might long-term health effects and reduced lifetime earnings change the choices a family makes?
- If you lived near a PFAS-contaminated site, what steps would you take about your well water and why?
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