A new study co-authored by Dr. Hari Iyer and colleagues examines the relationship between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and cancer prevalence across the United States. Using nationwide monitoring data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR-5) and census tract cancer history data, researchers conducted a geospatial analysis of more than 76,000 U.S. census tracts.
The analysis found that higher levels of several PFAS chemicals—including 6:2-FTS, PFBA, PFBS, PFHpA, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFNA, PFOA, PFPeA, and PFPeS—in public drinking water were associated with higher cancer history prevalence compared with areas where levels were below reporting limits. These associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for sociodemographic, health behavior, and environmental factors, suggesting that PFAS in drinking water may be linked to broader cancer burden patterns at the population level.
No significant associations were observed for HFPO-DA or PFOS in this ecological analysis, and mutually adjusted models for correlated PFAS showed generally similar results.
This study adds to a growing body of evidence on the potential health impacts of persistent environmental contaminants like PFAS and highlights the value of combining large-scale environmental monitoring with health data to better understand cancer risk patterns.
The findings also reinforce the need for continued research—including individual-level exposure and outcome studies—to clarify causal relationships and inform public health policy. Work like this complements ongoing efforts by the REPEL team, which integrates detailed exposure, clinical, and environmental data to explore how PFAS may influence prostate cancer survivorship.
Read the full article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-026-01272-0