SCITECH DAILY – Although levels of older “forever” chemicals have declined in many foods over the past 20 years, a new study shows that drinking water, seafood, eggs, and brown rice remain significant sources of PFAS exposure for adults.
For years, food has been seen as a key way people are exposed to PFAS, a group of long-lasting chemicals found in everything from industrial materials to everyday consumer products.
But there’s encouraging news.
A new study from researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) finds that PFAS exposure through food has actually declined among adults over the past 20 years.
However, the study also highlights that drinking water is still a significant source of PFAS exposure.
Published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the research looked at how diet and drinking water relate to blood levels of “legacy” PFAS—older chemicals that were phased out in the United States in the early 2000s.
The team analyzed blood samples from California residents and found that PFAS exposure was linked to eating seafood, eggs, and brown rice. Surprisingly, they found fewer food-related connections than earlier studies suggested.
The researchers also discovered that people living in areas with detectable PFAS in their tap water had higher levels of the chemicals in their blood. However, these levels were lower than those found in severely contaminated regions.
Regulatory Context and Public Health Implications
The findings published the same day the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will roll back first-ever limits on certain types of PFAS in drinking water, set last year.
The EPA also said it will uphold drinking water standards for two of the most harmful forever chemicals—PFOA and PFOS—but extended the deadline for water utilities’ compliance with these rules, from 2029 to 2031 …
