Carcinogens in Australian Drinking Water

The Sydney Morning Herald released a new article today, confirming the shocking news that carcinogenic chemicals are permitted in Australian tap water. This follows an earlier article by the same publication that revealed news about these “forever chemicals”, being permitted in Australia’s tap water at 140 times the maximum level that the U.S deems safe.

The Herald has analyzed publicly available data, revealing that since 2010, these chemicals have been found in the drinking water of up to 1.8 million Australians. Affected areas include Sydney suburbs like North Richmond, Quakers Hill, Liverpool, Blacktown, Emu Plains, and Campbelltown, as well as NSW regional centers such as Newcastle, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Lithgow, Gundagai, and Yass.

Additionally, the pollutants have been detected in tap water in Canberra, the inner Melbourne suburb of Footscray, inner-city Adelaide, Queensland regional centers like Cairns and Gladstone, Kingborough in greater Hobart, and various locations across Darwin and the Northern Territory.

What are forever chemicals?

They encompass PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), coinedfor their ability to never break down in the human body and environment. Initially used to repel stains, water, and grease in cosmetics and household items, they’ve been associated with specific types of cancer, compromised immune function, heightened cholesterol levels, and endocrine disruption, as recognized by both the US government and the European Union.

What’s even more astounding? During the early 2000s, forever chemicals were discovered in theblood of the Australian public at levels 20 times higher than what manufacturers considered safe. Surprisingly, Australia’s drinking water standards permit 70 parts per trillion of forever chemicals in our drinking water, in contrast to the US EPA’s recent guidelines, which mandate PFOS and PFOA levels in drinking water not to exceed 4 parts per trillion.

The stance of authorities has shifted quite dramatically in the recent years as more scientific research has been brought forth in support of their harm to human health. So far Australia has only banned three of the 14,000 forever chemicals flooding our environment today.

Where are forever chemicals coming from?

All of this was originally brought to attention due to the case of Amara Strande, who was featured in a world exclusive investigation which uncovered 21 cancer cases in students from her high school at Oakdale in America’s Midwest, where the water was heavily polluted with forever chemicals. What’s even more concerning is that the factory that was responsible for this source of pollution has also contributed to the contamination of 98% of the world’s population with forever chemicals as well.

The upcoming Stan documentary, “Revealed: How to poison a planet” deep dives into this case.

What can you do about it?

As the risk of forever chemicals is primarily in our drinking water, we have custombuilt the following water filtration solutions that can safely and effectively remove 99.99% forever chemicals from your drinking water.

The Fluoride Triple Countertop w/ Doulton Sterasyl® is ideal for renters or those looking to avoid plumbing into the mains water supply, whilst the Quick Change Fluoride Triple Undersink and the Quick Change Triple Undersink is easily installed beneath the kitchen sink and offers ‘twist-off cartridges’ for ease of maintenance.

These systems are available in store now!

By having a water filter system in your home for both your drinking water and your bath/shower water, you will eliminate the chances of ingesting forever chemicals into your body, avoiding their harm to your health.