U.S. Army photo
If you live on a military base and only drink bottled water, you’ve probably made a good call. A recently released report from the Department of Defense shows that a number of military installations are plagued with unsafe drinking water that can cause illness and fertility issues — and the government tried to cover it up.
The water (be it drinking water or groundwater) appears to be contaminated with Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), which can be traced to everything from hamburger wrappers to firefighting equipment and waterproofing agents. While limited exposure to the contaminants is essentially harmless, some human studies have shown a connection between PFOS/PFOAs and developmental delays in fetuses & children, decreased fertility, increased cholesterol, changes to the immune system; increased uric acid levels, changes in liver enzymes, and prostate, kidney, and testicular cancer, as well as other illnesses.
Out of 401 installations where the groundwater was sampled (as of August 31, 2017), 90 exceeded the “acceptable” levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency, which were lowered in recent years. One of the big contaminant sources seems to be Aqueous Film Forming Foam, the foam frequently found in firefighting vehicles, aircraft hangars, […]
Full article: DoD admits water at U.S. military bases contains cancer causing chemicals
Watersheds on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard will be among the areas most affected by underground…
An invasive algae has wrecked huge sections of reef in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Scientists…
Sardine Meadow is a key link in conservation efforts for the Sierra Nevada, north of…
UC Davis researchers insert a device that continuously collects water samples underground, providing real-time data…
Irrigated farmland in the desert of the Imperial Valley. (Photo credit: Steve Proehl, Getty Images)…
The Inspector General of the Department of Defense released some scathing reports Thursday over the…