US research found 'forever chemicals' in beer

With water as its main component, beer is a popular beverage choice across the globe and is sometimes considered safer than water given the destruction of waterborne pathogens during the brewing process. However, new US research into per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has discovered these ‘forever chemicals’ in some unexpected places — including beer.

PFAS are human-made chemicals produced for their water-, oil- and stain-repellent properties. They have been found in surface water, groundwater and municipal water supplies across the world. Although breweries have water filtration and treatment systems, they are not typically designed to remove PFAS.

Researchers publishing in ACS’s Environmental Science & Technology tested beers brewed in different areas around the US for PFAS. They found that beers produced in parts of the country with known PFAS-contaminated water sources showed the highest levels of forever chemicals.

“As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies was making its way into our pints,” said research lead Jennifer Hoponick Redmon. “I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours.”

By modifying a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing method for analysing levels of PFAS in drinking water, Hoponick Redmon and colleagues tested 23 beers. The test subjects were produced by US brewers in areas with documented water system contamination, plus popular domestic and international beers from larger companies with unknown water sources.

The researchers found a strong correlation between PFAS concentrations in municipal drinking water and levels in locally brewed beer — a phenomenon that Hoponick Redmon and colleagues say has not yet been studied in US retail beer. They found PFAS in 95% of the beers they tested. These include perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), two forever chemicals with recently established EPA limits in drinking water. Notably, the team found that beers brewed near the Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina, an area with known PFAS pollution, had the highest levels and most diverse mix of forever chemicals, including PFOS and PFOA.

This work shows that PFAS contamination at one source can spread into other products, and the researchers call for greater awareness among brewers, consumers and regulators to limit overall PFAS exposure. These results also highlight the possible need for water treatment upgrades at brewing facilities as PFAS regulations in drinking water change or updates to municipal water system treatment are implemented.

Image credit: iStock.com/Rob_Rye