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A new study carried out by Harvard researchers shows that more than six million Americans drink water contaminated by unsafe levels of a class of industrial chemicals that can lead to a number of serious health issues. (emphasis added)

Polyfluoroalkyl and Perfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFASs, are used in a number of industrial and commercial products — non-stick coatings on pans, food wrappers, as well as firefighting foam. Over time, exposure to these can be linked to kidney cancer, thyroid problems, high cholesterol and other alarming medical conditions.

“For many years, chemicals with unknown toxicities, such as PFASs, were allowed to be used and released to the environment, and we now have to face the severe consequences,” said lead author Xindi Hu in a press release.

Even though some of these have been phased out over a decade ago, they remain in the environment, while other such chemicals still remain in use for manufacturing and in foam used for fighting fires.

The study, published Tuesday in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, concentrated on six types of PFASs in […]