? Trouble with tap water
Screenshot: @USGS on Twitter
At least 45% of U.S. tap water is estimated to be contaminated with "forever chemicals," according to new U.S. Geological Survey research.
Why it matters: These chemicals don't break down in our bodies — and build up as we're exposed to them in our water, food and environment.
Exposure to certain levels of these synthetic compounds, known collectively as PFAS, has been linked to a range of health effects, including an increased risk of cancer, Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes.
The contamination was detected mostly in water sources from urban areas.
Researchers found the greatest exposures in the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central and Southern California.
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