Since 2019, more than 320 toxic substances have been detected in U.S. drinking water systems, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization.
Those harmful chemicals are linked to cancer, adverse birth and reproduction outcomes, impaired brain development, and a revolving door of other deleterious health impacts.
The findings, part of the 2021 update to EWG’s national Tap Water Database, underpin the call for more rigorous federal drinking water standards and the urgency to improve water infrastructure.