Image description: Water being poured from a bottle into a glass. Image by congerdesign / pixabay.

Drinking water contaminated with PFAS chemicals significantly increases the risk of infant mortality and harm to newborns, according to groundbreaking University of Arizona research examining 11,000 births in New Hampshire.

The peer-reviewed study found that consuming well water from sources down gradient of PFAS-contaminated sites was associated with a 191% increase in infant mortality, 20% rise in pre-term births, and 43% increase in low-weight births. Extremely premature births and extremely low-weight births rose by 168% and 180% respectively.

Study Methodology and Significance

Researchers identified 41 New Hampshire sites contaminated with PFOA and PFOS, two common PFAS compounds, then used topography data to determine groundwater flow direction. They examined reproductive outcomes among residents whose water sources were down gradient from contaminated sites.

The study’s strength lies in its natural randomisation: mothers were unaware whether their water supply was affected, due to well locations being confidential. This allowed researchers to isolate the effects of PFAS exposure itself rather than confounding factors.

“I don’t know if we expected to find effects this big and this detectable, especially given that there isn’t that much infant mortality,” Derek Lemoine, study co-author and economics professor specialising in environmental policymaking and pricing climate risk, told the Guardian. Sydney Evans, senior science analyst with the Environmental Working Group, noted the methodology underscores “that PFAS is no joke, and is toxic at very low concentrations.”

Economic Case for Action

PFAS – “forever chemicals” comprising at least 16,000 compounds used to resist water, stains and heat – do not naturally break down and are linked to cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, immune disorders and birth defects. An estimated 95 million Americans drink contaminated water from public or private wells, with industrial sites, military bases and airports among major pollution sources due to firefighting foam usage.

The study compared cleanup costs against societal harms, and their findings supported remediation as being far more cost-effective than inaction. Extrapolating to the entire US population, researchers estimate nearly $8 billion in negative annual economic impact from increased healthcare costs and lost productivity alone. Current regulatory compliance for removing PFAS from drinking water costs approximately $3.8 billion.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The Biden administration established limits for six PFAS types in drinking water last year, giving utilities several years to install treatment systems. However, the Trump administration is moving to undo limits for some compounds – a decision Lemoine warns would cost the public more long-term, as “the public also pays the cost of drinking contaminated water, which is bigger” than treatment expenses.

Granular activated carbon or reverse osmosis systems can remove many PFAS types and other contaminants at treatment plants and in homes.