New study shows rainwater is unsafe to drink

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Scientists have been warning people not to drink rainwater, no matter how fresh it may appear to be.

That’s because a new study released this week shows that rainwater all over the country has high levels of hazardous, synthetic chemicals. These chemicals are called PFAS and since they don’t break down in the environment during the natural water cycle, they’ve been dubbed “forever chemicals”.

These can be particularly dangerous because they are known to have links to hormone disruptions, cancers, and other health problems.

Because rain is eventually evaporated back up into the clouds, scientists are now studying the effects on things like rivers, soils and snow.

It’s not just humans that this will affect. Many farmers use rainwater for their cattle and livestock to drink. In turn, this could also affect our food supply from those animals.

The study suggests this could eventually be a global problem, as rainwater is responsible for much of our drinking water sources.

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