Cancer-causing chemicals found in Australia’s drinking water

Recent investigations have highlighted the need for Australians to consider using water filters after it was discovered that drinking water in parts of the country contains dangerous cancer-causing chemicals. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported that tap water in every state and territory has been contaminated with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which US authorities have warned are likely carcinogenic, with “no safe level of exposure.”

Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith from the International Pollutant Elimination Network described these chemicals as part of a “very nasty group,” linked to kidney and liver disease, thyroid and insulin dysregulation, reproductive issues, developmental problems in children, and cancer. She noted that chemical manufacturers in the US have had to pay millions in compensation to people who developed cancer after exposure.

Despite this, Lloyd-Smith criticised Australian regulatory agencies for dismissing evidence and failing to acknowledge the health risks. She urged Australians to use water filters and called on the government to help subsidise these safety measures. This call to action follows a dramatic policy shift by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April, which set new, stricter limits on PFOS and PFOA in drinking water, reducing safe levels to zero and mandating compliance within five years.

These contaminants, known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and human body, have been found in the drinking water of up to 1.8 million Australians since 2010. Affected areas include Sydney suburbs like North Richmond, Quakers Hill, Liverpool, Blacktown, Emu Plains, and Campbelltown, as well as regional centres such as Newcastle, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Lithgow, Gundagai, and Yass. Additionally, pollutants were detected in Canberra, Footscray in Melbourne, inner-city Adelaide, Cairns, Gladstone, Kingborough in Hobart, and various locations across Darwin and the Northern Territory.

Lloyd-Smith pointed out the uncertainty surrounding the amount of these chemicals needed to cause harm but emphasised the US regulatory stance that no safe level exists. She advised minimising exposure as much as possible, noting that PFOS and PFOA are also found in food, personal products, and industrial items such as paints and pesticides.

Medical knowledge about the effects of PFOS and PFOA is still emerging, with concerns over bioaccumulation in organs. Exposure has been linked to higher cholesterol, lower birth weights, altered immune responses, and kidney and testicular cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, classifies PFOA as carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic.

Dr Nicholas Chartres, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney, told Today Extra that the US standard is “many magnitudes lower than the current level we have in Australia.” He mentioned that water filters can help reduce the levels of these chemicals but stressed the need for government action to test the water. Chartres also suggested that using bottled water is an option, though he acknowledged that there are health risks associated with that as well.

Sources:

• https://www.9news.com.au/national/toxic-water-australia-pfos-chemicals-call-for-action/a3aaa2d4-6278-44eb-909e-3866ccb1dfd2#:~:
• https://theconversation.com/there-are-forever-chemicals-in-our-drinking-water-should-standards-change-to-protect-our-health-232143