5 ms·

That’s so tragic, what’s the consequences of me still collecting and drinking the rain water? Cancer?

galangalalgol 3y ago
>The EPA recently lowered its PFAS guidelines significantly after discovering that the chemicals may affect the immune response in children to vaccines, Cousins noted.
- Filligree 3y ago
  So, 'unsafe' here means 'unsafe for children'. That... still seems like an issue, to be honest. Not that you were saying it weren't, but... hmm. I wonder how much of a problem we're making for ourselves.
  - hef19898 3y ago
    PFAS are not natural, so I think we make all of that particular problem ourselves?
    - Nifty3929 3y ago
      GP wasn't questioning who is creating the problem, they were questioning the size of the problem we are creating.
      - hef19898 3y ago
        Those chemicals are a huge problem of epic proportions we created for ourselves here, that's true!
alistairSH 3y ago
Possibly. Plus hormone disruption, reduced vaccine efficacy, and other problems. But, as the article noted, PFAS levels in humans are steady for now. So, the damage is probably already done.
- Lendal 3y ago
  PFAS levels have gone down because we drink treated water. Making municipal water safe to drink is a big industry now. Anyone drinking only rainwater is exposed to those higher levels of whatever is in the rainwater. A small amount of rainwater is probably fine, but if you really do live off the grid year round then you need to treat your rainwater.
  - datavirtue 3y ago
    Kale doesn't get any credit.
  - nonrandomstring 3y ago
    Perhaps you can tell us the magical way that PFAS is currently removed in commercial water treatment?
    - Lendal 3y ago
      Certain technologies have been found to remove PFAS from drinking water, especially Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which are the most studied of these chemicals. Those technologies include activated carbon adsorption, ion exchange resins, and high-pressure membranes. These technologies can be used in drinking water treatment facilities, in water systems in hospitals or individual buildings, or even in homes at the point-of-entry, where water enters the home, or the point-of-use, such as in a kitchen sink or a shower.
      - nonrandomstring 3y ago
        > Certain technologies Actual ones. Actual ones in use right mow in your neighborhood? In use on the water you're drinking today?
        twodave 3y ago
        Reverse osmosis water filtration systems that use activated carbon are pretty common, and least where I live. We have one under our kitchen sink, and so do my in-laws. Most refrigerators that include a water dispenser come with an activated-carbon-based water filter as well.
wongarsu 3y ago
It's worth noting that filters capable of removing PFAS are readily available (in the industrialized world). Apparently even regular activated charcoal filters do a good job.
- hasbot 3y ago
  Maybe not completely though: https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/not-all-home-drinking-water-filters-completely-remove-toxic-pfas https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/not-all-home-drinking-water-f... and https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-water-treatment-technologies https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-wa... Sounds like a reverse osmosis filter works best.

>The EPA recently lowered its PFAS guidelines significantly after discovering that the chemicals may affect the immune response in children to vaccines, Cousins noted.

Filligree 3y ago
So, 'unsafe' here means 'unsafe for children'. That... still seems like an issue, to be honest. Not that you were saying it weren't, but... hmm. I wonder how much of a problem we're making for ourselves.
- hef19898 3y ago
  PFAS are not natural, so I think we make all of that particular problem ourselves?
  - Nifty3929 3y ago
    GP wasn't questioning who is creating the problem, they were questioning the size of the problem we are creating.
    - hef19898 3y ago
      Those chemicals are a huge problem of epic proportions we created for ourselves here, that's true!

alistairSH 3y ago

Possibly. Plus hormone disruption, reduced vaccine efficacy, and other problems. But, as the article noted, PFAS levels in humans are steady for now. So, the damage is probably already done.

Lendal 3y ago
PFAS levels have gone down because we drink treated water. Making municipal water safe to drink is a big industry now. Anyone drinking only rainwater is exposed to those higher levels of whatever is in the rainwater. A small amount of rainwater is probably fine, but if you really do live off the grid year round then you need to treat your rainwater.
- datavirtue 3y ago
  Kale doesn't get any credit.
- nonrandomstring 3y ago
  Perhaps you can tell us the magical way that PFAS is currently removed in commercial water treatment?
  - Lendal 3y ago
    Certain technologies have been found to remove PFAS from drinking water, especially Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which are the most studied of these chemicals. Those technologies include activated carbon adsorption, ion exchange resins, and high-pressure membranes. These technologies can be used in drinking water treatment facilities, in water systems in hospitals or individual buildings, or even in homes at the point-of-entry, where water enters the home, or the point-of-use, such as in a kitchen sink or a shower.
    - nonrandomstring 3y ago
      > Certain technologies Actual ones. Actual ones in use right mow in your neighborhood? In use on the water you're drinking today?
      - twodave 3y ago
        Reverse osmosis water filtration systems that use activated carbon are pretty common, and least where I live. We have one under our kitchen sink, and so do my in-laws. Most refrigerators that include a water dispenser come with an activated-carbon-based water filter as well.

wongarsu 3y ago

It's worth noting that filters capable of removing PFAS are readily available (in the industrialized world). Apparently even regular activated charcoal filters do a good job.

hasbot 3y ago
Maybe not completely though: https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/not-all-home-drinking-water-filters-completely-remove-toxic-pfas https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/not-all-home-drinking-water-f... and https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-water-treatment-technologies https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-wa... Sounds like a reverse osmosis filter works best.