Contaminants Explained
Deep dives on the chemicals worth understanding — what they are, what they do, and where the science is genuinely settled vs. genuinely uncertain.
Pharmaceuticals in tap water: what's actually been detected, what it does, and the brutally honest gap in what we know
Antidepressants, hormones, blood pressure meds, painkillers, antibiotics, chemo agents — all detected in U.S. public water supplies. Concentrations are tiny. The honest answer about long-term effects in 2026: we still don't know. Here is what is actually documented, what is plausible, and what is hype.
Fluoride: the science, the controversy, and the 2024 NTP review that changed the conversation
Community water fluoridation has been one of the most successful public-health interventions of the 20th century. It is also under more sustained scientific scrutiny than at any point in 70 years. Here is what the evidence shows, what the 2024 NTP monograph actually concluded, and why both anti-fluoride and pro-fluoride absolutism mislead readers.
PFAS, plainly: what 'forever chemicals' are, what the science is sure about, and what it isn't
PFAS are a class of 15,000 synthetic chemicals that don't break down. The EPA finally regulated six of them in 2024. Here is what the evidence shows about cancer, immune function, and pregnancy — and which of the common claims about PFAS go past what the data supports.
Lead in drinking water: what the science actually says, and what to do tomorrow morning
Roughly 9 million American homes still get water through lead pipes. Here is what lead does to a developing brain, why your utility's compliance report is not the same as your tap, and the specific steps that reduce exposure now.