Do you think you were made ill by drinking water contaminated with PFAS? You may be entitled to compensation.
Even as water sources are drying up, hundreds that remain are contaminated with so-called “forever chemicals” — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that can cause serious illnesses and diseases.
Do you qualify?
If you drank or cooked with water containing PFAS for at least six consecutive months from 1990 to the present, and if you have one of the illnesses listed below, you may be eligible to join a lawsuit investigation to seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of work, pain and suffering and other life-changing effects of the poisons.
What are PFAS?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, also called PFCs) are manmade substances naturally resistant to heat, oil, stains, grease and water. Although these chemicals provide for more efficient use of consumer products, they are extremely dangerous. Tests show they are present in hundreds of water supplies in the U.S. supplying millions of people.
PFAS chemicals are sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment or in the human body. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood.
PFAS can enter drinking water through industrial release to water, air, or soil; discharges from sewage treatment plants; land application of contaminated sludge; leaching from landfills and use of certain firefighting foam. A leading cause of exposure is primarily through drinking water and preparing foods rather than through bathing and washing. Boiling water does not remove PFAS.
Further, a study by Duke University and North Carolina State University found that while some home filters are partially effective in removing PFAS, “[a] few, if not properly maintained, can even make the situation worse.”
Illnesses under review
Illnesses in people who drank from a contaminated water supply from 1990 to the present for at least six months are under investigation for a class action lawsuit. Of particular interest are those suffering from:
- Testicular cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Ulcerative colitis
- Liver cancer
How do you know if your water has PFAS?
The dangers of PFAS in the drinking water supply are, at last, getting the attention they deserve. States and private watchdog groups are testing water supplies (some used by water bottlers) across the country.
Your local municipality or state may make test results known to you through periodic newsletters or if you ask, or you can pay to have your water tested or use a home-testing kit.
How can you avoid PFAS?
It is virtually impossible to avoid PFAS completely in modern societies, but because the greatest threat is in drinking water, you may want to “[a]void eating food grown or raised near places that used or made PFAS,” suggests Kirsten Moysich PHD, a professor of oncology in the Department of Cancer Prevention & Control at Roswell Park Comprehensive Center in Buffalo, NY. She also warns that people should stay clear of stain-resistant carpet and water-repellent clothing.
What is being done about PFAS?
Some progress is being made to stem the use and release of PFAS, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including strengthening protections for drinking water supplies near the 1,740 permitted hazardous waste facilities in the U.S.
The substances have been in wide use since the 1950s and the hazards have been under study since the 1970s. To make matters worse, new dangers have been discovered as testing continues. Even with existing and proposed regulations, the EPA terms the dangers of PFAS a “crisis” for the nation, as it is for families already facing the consequences of the chemicals’ use.
Some states are moving to ban the chemicals, and companies that have polluted water with the chemicals are being held accountable. Cleanup of some 180 sites containing PFAS is underway through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund program.
Earlier this month, the EPA finalized the first-ever regulations for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
Public water systems will have five years to implement solutions to reduce the presence of PFAS in drinking water exceeding acceptable levels.
Join a lawsuit investigation into PFAS water supply contamination
If you are ill and suspect that the cause might be “forever chemicals” in your water supply, you may be able to seek compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering and more.
