Northwestern University researchers are seeking ways to take the “forever” out of “forever chemicals” — toxic substances that have made their way into the air we breathe, the water we drink, the foods we eat and so much more.
More than 80 years after the first of these chemical compounds were produced, the problem now is how to make them go away. The Northwestern research is focused on destroying forever chemicals in water and wastewater.
If successful, the research will help eliminate forever chemicals from water drawn from Lake Michigan, helping to protect Chicago-area residents from the potential consequences of ingesting these toxic chemicals by keeping them out of the region’s drinking water.
The compounds are known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. They’re not just known as “forever chemicals.” These substances are suspected to be in roughly half the public drinking water systems in the country.
Their toxicity is potentially so detrimental that health and environmental protection agencies measure their levels in parts per trillion (ppt). One part per trillion is roughly equivalent to one drop of water in 13.2 million gallons of water — enough water to fill about 20 Olympic-size pools.
In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established limits for some of the most pervasive of these chemicals in public drinking water. The regulations include limits for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which was used to make nonstick cookware coatings, most notably under the brand name Teflon, and for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which has been used in plastic food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics and fire suppressant foams used by firefighters.
EPA regulations now say no more than 4 ppt for either PFOA or PFOS should be in drinking water systems — that’s no more than four drops for every 13.2 million gallons treated. The EPA also set a limit of 10 ppt for some other forever chemical compounds (PFNA, PFHxS, and “GenX Chemicals”).
The EPA says its goal is have zero PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, because “there is no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts, including certain cancers.”
Only a handful of public water systems in Illinois have tested above the EPA’s published levels. Chicago’s water has been within the EPA limits, but there’s hope that the new research will provide even safer drinking water in the future.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- What are PFAS chemicals
- PFAS and cancer: What’s the link?
- Are PFAS chemicals in Chicago water?
- Chicago’s effort to remove forever chemicals
- Chicago cancer screenings
If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with cancer and are looking for a second opinion or to discuss your options, call us 24/7 at 877-524-4673.
What Are PFAS Chemicals?
PFAS are synthetic chemical compounds first developed in the late 1930s and became widely used in many consumer-friendly products. They were behind inventions like non-stick frying pans, stain-resistant carpeting, plastic water bottles, water-repellant clothing, plastic wrap for foods, air fresheners and contact lenses.
Neither the PFOA nor PFOS categories of PFAS are manufactured in the United States anymore, but they are still being made elsewhere. In addition, there’s the lingering effects of these chemical compounds from all the products that were manufactured with them in the past.
Illinois is taking steps to address forever chemicals. In 2021, it prohibited the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam intentionally containing added PFAS. Then, in 2022, the state prohibited disposal by incineration of PFAS substances listed in the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory.
Last year, Illinois established a take-back program for fire departments using firefighting foam containing PFAS, with funding to ensure that the foam is properly disposed of or destroyed. Another six PFAS-related bills have been filed in the state’s General Assembly this year.
PFAS and Cancer: What’s the Link?
A major concern about PFAS is their potential to cause cancer. While some studies have suggested connections between PFAS and some cancers, the studies haven’t produced conclusive evidence.
Still, a World Health Organization agency for cancer research has listed PFOA, based on limited evidence, as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Some studies have associated forever chemical with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer, among others.
The Illinois Department of Public Health lists the following potential effects from drinking water with higher levels of PFAS:
- Higher cholesterol levels
- Changes in liver enzymes
- Hormone disruption and increased risk for thyroid disease
- Reduced odds of becoming pregnant (women)
- High blood pressure or pre-eclampsia during pregnancy
- Lower infant birth weights
- Poorer vaccine response in children
- Higher risk of kidney or testicular cancers
Are PFAS Chemicals in Chicago Water?
Chicago’s drinking water comes from Lake Michigan. In Illinois, you’re more likely to find PFAS in groundwater than in surface water like the Great Lakes, according to a city website. The city sampled drinking water for PFOS as far back as 2011. Other sampling was done for a wider group of chemicals under the PFAS heading in 2014 as part of federal EPA monitoring, in 2020 as part of a state study and this year again through federal monitoring.
“All studies yielded non-detect results, which means if any PFAS were present, it was at such a low level that the laboratory instruments couldn’t detect it,” the city reports on its website.
Chicago’s Effort to Remove Forever Chemicals
There are PFAS in Lake Michigan.
In 2023, University of Notre Dame scientists tested hundreds of fish and their prey from all sections of Lake Michigan and all contained PFAS, even though the researchers found the PFAS levels in Lake Michigan were lower than in the other Great Lakes.
A concerning finding of the research, funded by an Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, were the levels of PFOS that showed up in the testing, which took place more than 20 years after production of the compounds was halted in the U.S. The researchers found PFOS in about 95% of the fish tested, especially salmon and trout.
Current, the Chicago-based water innovation hub, is receiving up to $160 million over the next 10 years from the National Science Foundation for water-related projects involving the Great Lakes, including one with the goal of removing PFAS from wastewater.
The research “sets out to turn waste into wealth by figuring out how to remove dangerous forever chemicals, such as PFAS, and valuable minerals, such as lithium, from our wastewater,” Current said in announcing the grant.
Part of the grant will fund the research being done at Northwestern University, led by William Dichtel, PhD., professor of chemistry. While water treatment plants can be equipped to remove PFAS, the issue is what to do with the PFAS after they’re removed. No safe way to dispose of forever chemicals has been developed that guarantees they won’t resurface as an environmental problem again in the future.
Dichtel has been developing a process that not only removes PFAS from water supplies, but also destroys forever chemicals, leaving only benign end products.
Chicago Cancer Screenings
Whether or not you’ve been exposed to PFAS, it’s important to stay vigilant by adhering to medical guidelines for undergoing regular cancer screenings and seeking out medical professionals when worrisome symptoms arise. City of Hope® Cancer Center Chicago offers screenings and symptom evaluations.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, City of Hope can lead you through a comprehensive treatment regimen and post-treatment survivorship plan.
For more information, contact City of Hope 24/7 at 877-524-4673.