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U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

reuters.com

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Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#41

Post by jp555 »

MichaelApproved wrote: post #38
GrumpyNl wrote: post #23

Lets thank dupont for that

Another example of privatization of profits and socializing losses. I live on Long Island (New York) and we have water problems from old factories that polluted the ground water. My water bill will now include $80/year charge for new filtering plants that are supposed to clean up the contaminated water. At best, the companies should’ve never been allowed to pollute the water. At worst, the cleanup cost should’ve been…

"privatization of profits and socializing losses."

This is ideologically biased. You mean "externalize RISK", which governments and NGOs do all the time too.

Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#42

Post by fredley »

ryanmercer wrote: post #39
knorker wrote: post #27

So next time I go to the US I should bring a LifeStraw? This is an actual question: How much do these filters help against the type of contamination that's in US drinking water?

Products like the LifeStraw/Sawyer/Katadyn won't filter most chemicals. To remove some chemicals you need to use distillation and distillation is only good if the boiling point of a given chemical is higher than that of water. LifeStraw even states >Chemicals, salt water, heavy metals and viruses will not be removed. http://help.lifestraw.com/en/articles/2507813-does-the-lifes... Sawyer states >Taste >The Sawyer filt…

> distillation is only good if the boiling point of a given chemical is higher than that of water

What about fractional distillation?

Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#43

Post by [deleted] »

ryanmercer wrote: post #39
knorker wrote: post #27

So next time I go to the US I should bring a LifeStraw? This is an actual question: How much do these filters help against the type of contamination that's in US drinking water?

Products like the LifeStraw/Sawyer/Katadyn won't filter most chemicals. To remove some chemicals you need to use distillation and distillation is only good if the boiling point of a given chemical is higher than that of water. LifeStraw even states >Chemicals, salt water, heavy metals and viruses will not be removed. http://help.lifestraw.com/en/articles/2507813-does-the-lifes... Sawyer states >Taste >The Sawyer filt…

[deleted]

Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#44

Post by mc32 »

claudeganon wrote: post #25
forgotmypw wrote: post #13

If there was a magical way of convincing every single person in the U.S. to stop buying X, what would we have to stop buying to stop this pollution?

Industrial pollution like this is the lived reality of Capitalism and it’s inability to meaningfully account for the environmental degradation and destruction it causes. The problem isn’t “stop buying X” it’s that we need to “stop buying.”

Stop buying is not the solution to this problem.

I agree disposable consumerism is a problem —but that’s not the cause of this. Even historically socialist countries have issues (maybe even more issues) with industrial pollution. Adding “Capitalism” is a distraction from the problem.

The issue is learning from mistakes and taking proper corrective action according to risks.

Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#45

Post by MichaelApproved »

userbinator wrote: post #12

Have any effects of this been noticed? It feels like a lot of these things are "yet another thing that might shorten your life a little bit", although the total risk may be very small.

From the article:

> The chemicals, resistant to breaking down in the environment, are known as perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Some have been linked to cancers, liver damage, low birth weight and other health problems.

Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#46

Post by mdemare »

yomly wrote: post #34
claudeganon wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Industrial pollution like this is the lived reality of Capitalism and it’s inability to meaningfully account for the environmental degradation and destruction it causes. The problem isn’t “stop buying X” it’s that we need to “stop buying.”

I don't know why you get downvoted for this. The current assumption that GDP must always grow (and consumption must keep increasing) seem to be in direct contradiction to the idea that we must stop consuming so much if we want to save the environment. Perhaps "capitalism" is a lazy proxy for this but I think it's more lazy to downvote you than engage with the discussion

Increasing GDP does not imply increasing consumption, and increasing consumption does not imply increasing pollution.

Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#47

Post by Liquix »

ryanmercer wrote: post #39
knorker wrote: post #27

So next time I go to the US I should bring a LifeStraw? This is an actual question: How much do these filters help against the type of contamination that's in US drinking water?

Products like the LifeStraw/Sawyer/Katadyn won't filter most chemicals. To remove some chemicals you need to use distillation and distillation is only good if the boiling point of a given chemical is higher than that of water. LifeStraw even states >Chemicals, salt water, heavy metals and viruses will not be removed. http://help.lifestraw.com/en/articles/2507813-does-the-lifes... Sawyer states >Taste >The Sawyer filt…

How would a reverse osmosis filter hooked up in the basement / under the sink compare to distillation? The good ones spit out water that is close to 0 PPM (in most municipal water systems tap water is closer to 60-200). Is PPM a good way of measuring the types of chemicals you mentioned?

Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#49

Post by lotsofpulp »

mc32 wrote: post #44
claudeganon wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Industrial pollution like this is the lived reality of Capitalism and it’s inability to meaningfully account for the environmental degradation and destruction it causes. The problem isn’t “stop buying X” it’s that we need to “stop buying.”

Stop buying is not the solution to this problem. I agree disposable consumerism is a problem —but that’s not the cause of this. Even historically socialist countries have issues (maybe even more issues) with industrial pollution. Adding “Capitalism” is a distraction from the problem. The issue is learning from mistakes and taking proper corrective action according to risks.

The issue is nature doesn’t have an unlimited budget for mistakes to learn from. It doesn’t matter if it’s disposable consumerism or consumerism, it is clear that billions of people consuming resources at the rate they are now is modifying the ecosystem.

Assuming the modified ecosystem is worse for basic needs such as water, temperature, and air quality, the only solution in the short term is to reduce consumption. Which is antithetical to every assumption made by every government and their financial system, which require exponential growth to sustain themselves.

I don’t see what socialist or capitalist or democracy or dictatorship has to do with it. If everyone wants a detached house with a garage and yard and personal vehicle to travel with and flights to tropical destinations, then this is the price that will have to be paid (barring a drastic reduction in population that can afford to do that).

Re: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

#50

Post by hurxnid »

Liquix wrote: post #47
ryanmercer wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Products like the LifeStraw/Sawyer/Katadyn won't filter most chemicals. To remove some chemicals you need to use distillation and distillation is only good if the boiling point of a given chemical is higher than that of water. LifeStraw even states >Chemicals, salt water, heavy metals and viruses will not be removed. http://help.lifestraw.com/en/articles/2507813-does-the-lifes... Sawyer states >Taste >The Sawyer filt…

How would a reverse osmosis filter hooked up in the basement / under the sink compare to distillation? The good ones spit out water that is close to 0 PPM (in most municipal water systems tap water is closer to 60-200). Is PPM a good way of measuring the types of chemicals you mentioned?

That would almost certainly work but make sure to remineralize the water after.
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