I have my same format as always. So we got feel good, which includes UFOs because they make us feel good. We got feel bad now with even more bad news. And the bad news is outweighing the good news at this point. Feeling uncertain can't choose between good or bad feelings and now restocked feeling science. I'm just curious. Are feeling uncertain and can't choose between good and bad? Different categories is that one category? No, they're different categories actually. Oh, huh.
Well, I actually intended to do a feel bad for my intro article for the week, but it's behind a paywall. So I feel like the people need their feeling bad news. Now, figures cross is not behind it. Okay, here we go. This is from people.com and it is by Vanessa Etienne, July 7th, 2020. I can't say it. 2023. The tough word. It got me. Cancer causing forever chemicals found in nearly half of US tap water study finds. Let's read it.
Nearly half of the country's tap water could be contaminated with cancer causing forever chemicals according to a new study. A study released Wednesday by the US Geological Survey found that at least 45% of tap water in the United States is estimated to have one or more types of purr and polyfluoryl alcohol. Substances. That's a tongue twister. Yeah, that's why we just say PFOS. Yeah, I like sounded it out actually.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that PFOS and purr and polyfluoryl alcohol substances aren't close the same. I guess not if they're saying they're not. We're not the scientists. We're just saying what the scientists say. I don't think people is the scientists either. Are you sure? People are scientists. In fact, all scientists I know are people. The magazine, right? No, it's the website. It's different. Okay, I had to have a drink. That 2023 really?
Yeah. There was a real curve ball right at the start. Okay, so back to this. Are a group of about 14,000 mad made chemicals that are very persistent in the environment and in the human body, meaning they don't break down and they can accumulate over time. We already knew that if you've been listening to Journey to the Fringe for any amount of time. Forever chemicals, blah, blah, blah, last years without breaking down.
So the USGS said the study is the first to test for PFAS in tap water from both private and public water supplies, testing 716 locations across the country between 2016 and 2021. Said it perfectly that time. Oh yeah, those are easy compared to 2020. Those were easy. 2023 is the one that's difficult. Hard one. Yeah. Of the locations, both rural and urban areas, 447 rely on public water supplies and 269 rely on private wells.
Scientists estimate that there is about a 75% chance of PFAS being found in rural areas and about a 25% chance in urban areas. High exposure areas were reported in the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central Southern California regions.
USGS scientists tested water collected directly from people's kitchen sinks across the nation, providing the most comprehensive study to date on PFAS in tap water from both private wells and public supplies, said USGS research hydrologist Kenny Kelly Smolling, the study's lead author. The study estimates that at least one type of PFAS of those that were monitored could be present in nearly half of all tap water in the US.
Furthermore, PFAS concentrations were similar between public supplies and private wells. The EPA regulates public water supply while private water supplies are maintained, tested, and treated by homeowners. Anyone interested in testing and treating private wells should contact their local and state officials for guidance as testing is the only way to confirm the presence of PFAS in wells. Might as well just finish off with this.
If the average American is worried about the quality of their drinking water, they can use this and other studies to get informed, evaluate their own risk, and reach out to their local health official about testing or treatment. The end.
One thing that I pulled from that, because we grew up in an area where many of our neighbors and friends had well water, where they say that private wells are individually monitored by the people that own the house, you damn well know most of the people that actually own wells aren't actually looking into their PFAS levels or maintaining anything other than drinkability. And even then well watered man, does that not taste right? It's poor. No, it does not taste good. It's full of nutrients.
Yeah, probably not drinking that well water. No, the fact that the level in the well water is basically on par with the treated water, in my mind says that either A, it's almost impossible to pull it out, or B, we just haven't been thinking about it and find it just too depressing to actually try to take plastics out of our water. If I know anything about humans, it's definitely that one, the second one. That's just too sad. Yeah. Ignore it and it'll go away. It's sad.
Yeah. So I just thought that I'm starting to see PFAS talked about more and more everywhere and I'm not sure it's just because we talk about it now and my ears kind of perk up whenever I hear it or it's actually getting out there more. Oh yeah, no, it's the leaded gasoline of our generation. It's just everywhere. Yeah, it is. When we look back at this era, should future generations survive? That's going to be the thing that we're remembered for. PFAS? Yeah, PFAS being everywhere.
Possibly many other things too that we don't even know about at this point, or just all the arsenic that's in many places as well. But that's what we're going to be remembered for mostly is that there's this dangerous level of plastics just everywhere, literally in our bloodstreams. Yeah, that's true. It's disturbing and boomers are going to be known for ruining the housing market and bring much everything else. Three boomers. That's all I got.
You do bring up a good point in that I am worried that it's becoming too mainstream for a fringe topic, so we're going to keep an eye on this to make sure. And if it's too stream, we'll cut it out. You'll hear nothing from us ever again. Because that's all we had. But that's probably good enough for a Fringy Mini. Thank you guys all for tuning in. We look forward to serving you more of our fringiness on Friday. See you Friday.