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Toxins from the tap

As concern grows about groundwater contaminated with potentially harmful compounds known as PFAS, Howard Neukrug, executive director of the Water Center at Penn, offers context about the issue and why it’s so complicated to address.
Gloved hands holding a syringe with groundwater with a background of a body of water
PFAS, short for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are an emerging concern as detectable levels have been found in sources of drinking water in Pennsylvania and around the nation.

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    Image: Pencho Chukov via Getty Images

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    Sep 9, 2025

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    Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering Today

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