Carcinogenic Substances Found in Tap Water of This Country, Italy Facing Similar Issue

The Global Issue of Water Contamination

One pressing issue affecting several nations worldwide is the quality of drinking water flowing from millions of people’s taps at home.
Recent analyses have revealed an increasing level of potentially carcinogenic substances present in drinking water.
The latest discovery took place in Australia, but similar problems have previously arisen in the United States and Italy, particularly in the Piedmont Region.
Let’s delve into what contaminates the water and why.

PFAS in Drinking Water: Potential Health Risks

The most recent alarm comes from Australia, where tests on drinking water have detected high levels of potentially cancer-causing chemicals hazardous to human health.
Specifically, perfluorooctane sulfonate (known as PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have been found.
These two substances fall under the category of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Similar contaminants have been found by authorities in the United States and Italy, specifically in some areas of Piedmont.
American authorities have warned that prolonged consumption of such contaminated water can lead to severe health issues.
They have also implemented stricter limits on PFOS/PFOA levels in drinking water, allowing the water industry a 5-year timeframe to comply with the new regulations.

A comparable case occurred in Italy, particularly in Piedmont.
After the contamination was well-known in the province of Alessandria for some time, new analyses have shown contamination in at least 70 municipalities in the metropolitan city of Turin.
According to an estimate by Greenpeace Italy, around 125,000 people in the Piedmont region may have consumed water contaminated with PFOA.

These substances enter the water through foams or pesticides.
In reality, individuals can be exposed to PFAS chemicals in everyday life through the waterproofing of clothes, non-stick coatings on cookware, or through food and drinking water.
PFAS can also be found in pesticides, paints, and cosmetics.

The health consequences of human exposure to these chemical elements are still being studied by the scientific community.
However, it is known that the accumulation of these chemicals in various organs over time can lead to many health problems, causing adverse effects on health.
These range from increased cholesterol, lower birth weight, altered immune responses to kidney and testicular cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers PFOA carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

It is essential to purify drinking water thoroughly to avoid long-term risks.
Authorities should work diligently to address the issue.
Filtration with activated carbon and reverse osmosis can remove many PFAS chemicals.
However, no treatment system seems to be entirely effective in their removal.
It is, therefore, challenging to eliminate these substances.
The best solution is to prevent them from entering the water, starting by limiting the use of pesticides.

Read also: The List of Countries Where Drinking Tap Water Is Safe.
Does Italy Make It?