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1 month ago
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Next time you gulp down your favourite beer, you could be consuming dangerous 'forever chemicals', scientists have warned.
A new study has detected a toxic group of cancer-causing chemicals known as PFAS in 'popular' beers brewed in North America and Europe.
The experts didn't reveal the name of the beers, although MailOnline has contacted them for a full list.
Worryingly, beer fans could be drinking down PFAS whether the beverage is fresh from the tap, a glass bottle or a can.
PFAS – or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances – have been dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they are designed not to break down in the environment.
Studies have linked PFAS to infertility, behavioural problems, birth defects, high cholesterol levels and even various cancers, including kidney, testicular and ovarian.
'Nearly every American has PFAS in their blood,' say the researchers from RTI International research institute in North Carolina.
'We set out to understand whether popular craft beers as well as national and international beers may also be a contributor to total PFAS exposure for beer drinkers.'
Next time you gulp down your favourite beer, you could be consuming dangerous 'forever chemicals' linked with cancer (file photo)
Researchers tested 23 lagers and ales - mostly from from the US, but also two from Mexico and one from the Netherlands
The team believe PFAS chemicals are entering the beer from local contaminated water supplies used during the brewing process.
Water is the most abundant and important ingredient of the four main ingredients in beer (the others being hops, yeast and grain).
Although breweries typically have water filtration and treatment systems, they are not designed to remove PFAS, the team warn.
But extra PFAS sources could include brewing ingredients (such as grains, hops and spices), packaging or storing materials (storage tanks and cans), and cleaning supplies.
For example, packaging vessels such as bottles, cans, and kegs may also be washed with water or contain liners that could also introduce PFAS.
For the study, the researchers tested 23 lagers and ales – mostly from from the US, but also two from Mexico and one from the Netherlands.
The US beer came from eight states – North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri.
Their selection comprised 'primarily plain lagers and ales' produced by US brewers in areas with documented water system contamination, plus popular domestic and international beers from larger companies with unknown water sources.
This illustration from the study shows potential PFAS contamination at various stages of the brewing process
What are PFAS?
PFAS are human-made chemicals produced for their anti-grease, water-resistant, and stain-repelling properties.
PFAS have been widely used in consumer products (such as carpets, furniture, clothes, cookware, and food packaging), industrial manufacturing (e.g., as a processing aid in plastic production), and in firefighting foam for decades.
Often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’, they are ubiquitous in the environment due to their extensive use and resistance to degradation.
Recent studies show that PFAS exposure can lead to adverse reproductive, developmental, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, immunological, and carcinogenic health effects. Additionally, PFAS can remain in the body for years.
Source: Redmon et al 2025
Overall, the researchers found PFAS in 95 per cent of the beers they tested, including perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
Shockingly, these two types of PFAS were found in quantities above recently established limits in drinking water set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Beers from smaller breweries had a higher likelihood of PFAS presence compared to larger-scale US or international beers.
The largest number of PFAS compounds were detected in beer from Chatham County and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina (both areas with PFAS in municipal drinking water), and a beer from St. Louis County, Missouri.
Beers from North Carolina exhibited higher PFAS 'species variety' – meaning a wider variety of different types of PFAS – compared to Michigan and California.
Unsurprisingly, parts of the country with known PFAS-contaminated water sources showed the highest levels of the 'forever chemicals'.
The results, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, suggest there's an urgent need for water treatment upgrades at brewing facilities.
Researchers also call for greater awareness among brewers, consumers and regulators to limit overall PFAS exposure, as well as more research into PFAS in beers brewed further around the world, including brewing giants such as China, Japan, Brazil, Germany and the UK.
Maps showing county-averaged PFAS concentrations from state-reported drinking water systems in (A) California, (B) Michigan, and (C) North Carolina, along with averaged PFAS concentrations in beers at brewing locations. Map D shows locations of states in A-C within the United States
A physical sample of PFOA, appearing as a white solid as seen here in a relatively pure form. It is commonly referred to as the main harmful PFAS chemical and PFOA is responsible for many of the negative health effects commonly associated with PFAS
Beer fans, meanwhile, should choose beers from breweries without PFAS in municipal drinking water, or that conduct testing and use water filtration that removes PFAS.
'Water utilities can enhance water treatment processes to remove PFAS contaminants before distribution, and breweries can test or filter their brewing water,' the team add.
PFAS were first developed in the 1940s and are widely used in industry as well as in consumer products such as non-stick cookware, water and stain-repellent coatings, food packaging, carpeting, firefighting foam and cosmetics.
Their molecular structure is based on a linked chain of carbon atoms with one or more fluorine atoms attached, and the extreme stability of those carbon-fluorine bonds make PFAS highly resistant to being broken down.
This durability causes PFAS to persist and accumulate in the environment as well as in the bodies of humans and animals for years.
Many PFAS have molecular structures that resemble those of naturally occurring fatty acids, resulting in them having similar chemical properties and effects on the human body.
Women exposed to PFAS used in takeaway containers and non-stick pans 'may go through menopause two years earlier'
Exposure to a type of man-made chemicals may cause menopause to occur two years earlier in women, a study warns.
Researchers from the University of Michigan found that high levels of PFAS in blood samples contributed to an earlier menopause in women.
PFAS, which are used as oil and water repellents and coatings for consumer products, can enter water sources and disrupt ovarian function, they say.
The chemicals, which are widely used in food packaging, cookware and industrial foams, disrupt the endocrine system – the hormone-producing collection of glands that regulate sexual function.
Previous studies have also linked them to infertility, behavioural problems, birth defects, high cholesterol levels and even cancer.
