A study published in Cell Reports Sustainability found that current EPA monitoring methods capture only 44% of average PFAS concentrations in community water systems by counting results below reporting thresholds as zero. An associate professor at Texas Christian University led the research analyzing roughly 1.86 million PFAS test results.
Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 23, 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Gehendra Kharelassociate professor of environmental and geological sciences at Texas Christian University; first author of study
Environmental Protection Agencymonitors PFAS levels in U.S. water systems
Environmental Working Groupconducted analysis of EPA monitoring data
The facts
Study published in Cell Reports Sustainability found conventional reporting captured 44% of average PFAS concentration estimate.2
EPA released monitoring data for 29 types of PFAS across about 10,000 water systems in January 2026.2
Roughly 1.86 million individual PFAS test results were in January 2026 EPA dataset.2
EPA established maximum contaminant level of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.1
Over 1,700 public water systems recorded PFOA or PFOS at or above 4 parts per trillion.1
International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies PFOA as carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic.1
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Gehendra Kharel About 98% of roughly 1.86 million individual PFAS test results were below reporting limits.2
Environmental Working Group Some 176 million Americans use drinking water containing PFAS.2
EPA There is essentially no safe level of exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.1
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Map Shows US Drinking Water Contaminated With ‘Forever Chemicals’
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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