Does your drinking water contain contaminants you don’t know about? Too many municipalities do dispense water with dangerous impurities. Even more alarming, the toxins you encounter in your water or air could contribute to depression in certain individuals.
Research Linking Depression to Toxins in Drinking Water:
Investigators analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination and Survey, known by the acronym NHANES (JAMA Network Open, July 3, 2024). 3427 adults participated in the study. People exposed to 27 common environmental compounds were more likely to report depressive symptoms. These compounds included nicotine metabolites, volatile organic compound metabolites, acrylamide, ethylene oxide and heavy metals. The investigators found that men are more vulnerable than women and younger people more than older ones. They suspect that chronic systemic inflammation is the link between toxins in the environment and depressive symptoms.
Older Studies Found PFAS in Water:
At least eight years ago, Harvard researchers identified dangerous compounds in the PFAS class in the drinking water of 6 million Americans (Environmental Science & Technology Letters, online Aug 9, 2016). These chemicals, including polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl, have been used in clothing, nonstick cookware and food wrappers for six decades. Even those that are no longer being used in industrial processes persist in the environment and find their way into groundwater.
What Did the Chemists Find?
The scientists analyzed 36,000 water samples collected by the EPA between 2013 and 2015, looking for six different kinds of PFAS. This study of American drinking water is not comprehensive, since the investigators failed to check many wells.
High Levels of PFAS:
In 66 of the public water supplies in the study (each represented by a number of water samples), PFAS levels were at or above 70 parts per trillion. Public health experts consider that the safe upper limit for exposure.
In most cases, sources near military bases, industrial sites or wastewater treatment plants contain higher levels of toxins. These may be where the PFAS compounds came from when they got into the water. Research has linked these agents to an increased risk of cancer, immune disorders, high cholesterol and hormone disruption.
