Hurts, S. (2021, February 15). ‘Am I going to regret it?’: Forever chemicals dilemma for breastfeeding mothers. Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/15/forever-chemicals-breastfeeding-contamination-pfas
In 2015 a chemical called PFOA was found in Hoosick town’s drinking water. Unfortunately, this chemical has caused serious diseases, and it is one of many “forever chemicals”, named because of how they stay in your body forever. A woman who was pregnant with a son was drinking the water, and she thought that he would be protected. Through breastfeeding, she passed the carcinogen to her son, Oliver. This was due to a French factory using these PFOA’s and carrying them downriver. More than 200 million Americans drinking water could be contaminated with these carcinogens. Citizens in this town suffer from cracking teeth, lumps, and other illnesses that could be caused from these PFOAs.
This water pollution is causing serious harm in many of these cities and towns across the US. I’ve said it before, every person should have the right to clean drinking water, and it’s especially disheartening that in the richest country in the world, people still do not have what should be universally available. Whole families are effected by carcinogens in drinking water, and kids should not be forced to suffer through water pollution caused illnesses.
I completely agree, this story is horrific. Everyone must has access to clean drinking water, this should be the first priority. Also, the fact that this news was not more widely known and this women was not aware of the harmful effects of the PFOAs is very scary. What are they doing to extract these harmful chemicals from the water?
I am surprised that people were not more aware of this chemical in there drinking water. If a chemical is as potentially harmful as PFOA, people need to be informed, so they can proceed as they see fit. How can we avoid instances like this in the future?