Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Your Tap Water May Be Contaminated With Forever Chemicals, Says USGS
CNN: Nearly Half Of The Tap Water In The US Is Contaminated With ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Government Study Finds
Almost half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” according to a new study from the US Geological Survey. The number of people drinking contaminated water may be even higher than what the study found, however, because the researchers weren’t able to test for all of these per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, chemicals that are considered dangerous to human health. (Christensen, 7/5)
In other environmental health news —
Axios: Utah's Skin Cancer Rate Highest In Nation, Per CDC
Utah once again has the nation's highest melanoma rate, according to updated data from the CDC. 38.4 per 100,000 Utahns were diagnosed with the cancer in 2020. That's a drop from 43.6 in 2019 — likely due to fewer diagnoses amid reductions in doctor visits during COVID. (Alberty, 7/5)
Stat: Environmental Racism May Speed Black Americans' Aging: Study
Black Americans who live in neighborhoods with lower levels of income and education may age faster than their white neighbors, according to a new study. This can be true even when an individual Black person has a higher income or education level — underscoring the extent to which a person’s surroundings can impact their health. (Castillo, 7/5)
The Washington Post: Earth Shatters Heat Records, Faces Uncharted Extreme Weather
“We have never seen anything like this before,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. He said any number of charts and graphs on Earth’s climate are showing, quite literally, that “We are in uncharted territory.” (Dance, 7/6)
