Almost 50% of US Tap Water Contains Chemicals Used for Non-Stick Cookware! Geological Survey Shares More Details

A new study revealed that almost 50% of tap water in the United States contains chemicals that are used for non-stick cookware.

The U.S. Geological Survey released its new national study on Tuesday, July 4.

Based on USGS' findings, at least one of a kind of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance) is found in nearly half of the tap water in the country.

Almost 50% of US Tap Water Contains Forever Chemicals!

Almost 50% of US Tap Water Contains Chemicals Used For Non-Stick Cookware! Geological Survey Shares More Details — People drink water from a six spigot water fountain provided by the Water-On-The-Go program July 7, 2010 in New York City. The program connects the drinking stations to fire hydrants for public access to water. A blistering heat wave continued across the East Coast with temperatures approaching 100 degrees. Mario Tama/Getty Images

According to USA Today's latest report, PFAS (also known as "forever chemicals") is a chemical group usually used for fast food box linings and non-stick cookware.

USGS said that its first comprehensive national study gives more information to Americans about the risks of consuming forever chemicals when they are drinking tap water.

"It kind of begins to give private users information on some of the exposure risks," said Kelly Smalling, the lead author of the USGS study.

Smalling stated that their study discovered that the amount of forever chemicals in private wells and public water supplies almost have the same concentrations.

This means that Americans who are living in urban areas are mostly the ones at risk of drinking water with PFAS. On the other hand, U.S. residents in rural places are less affected.

How Dangerous are Forever Chemicals?

USGS officials said that there are over 12,000 kinds of PFAS. Because of the persistence in the environment and toxicity potential, the group of chemicals is dubbed "forever chemicals."

PFAS chemicals are used for clothing, rainwear, furniture, outdoor equipment, cosmetics, tapes, and other products that need to be waterproof or stain-resistant.

Although it is quite useful to make products waterproof, the forever chemicals can put the lives of people at risk.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that PFAS can lead to numerous health complications.

These include the following:

Increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.
Increased cholesterol levels.
Decreased vaccine response in children.
Increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.
Increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.
Changes in liver enzymes.

This is why Americans living in urban areas need to think twice before drinking tap water from their kitchen sinks. If you want to learn more about how dangerous PFAS chemicals really are, you can click here.