St. Louis is a city known for its beer.
A recent study indicates that some of the beer produced in the United States — including in St. Louis — contains polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.”
The study, titled “Hold My Beer,” was led by Jennifer Hoponick Redmon at research institute RTI International.
“We, essentially, were wondering whether the PFAS' presence in municipal drinking water at brewing locations influenced what was in the final beer that consumers were drinking,” Redmon said.
The answer to that question was yes. Redmon and her team found that areas with high concentrations of PFAS in their water also had higher concentrations in their beer. Beer is more than 90% water, and beer filtration isn’t meant to filter PFAS out. So beer produced in areas with the chemicals in the water will likely contain them.
Studies have indicated the presence of PFAS in St. Louis-area water.
The study found that a popular, nationally consumed beer from St. Louis County contained multiple PFAS compounds but not at levels that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s health standards.
In total, 94 beers from 23 brands were tested.
She said some beers tested did exceed the health standards, including some from North Carolina and Michigan.
Breweries can do several things to filter out the chemicals from their beer, Redmon said. They can work with their water utilities to see if they are planning to treat their water.
“Breweries also can do their own filtration during the brewing process that's optimized to actually remove PFAS compounds,” Redmon said.
These processes include activated carbon and reverse osmosis.
She said consumers who are concerned about the chemicals in the environment, or in their beer, should consider their purchases.
“If a product says that it's stain repellent, water resistant or nonstick, and doesn't label the material making it so, it likely contains PFAS,” Redmon said.
Right now, there is no government requirement for water utilities to decrease the PFAS in their water. In April 2024, the EPA under the Biden administration set limits on certain PFAS in drinking water, and water utilities were required to comply by 2029. The Trump administration has since rolled back or delayed regulations on PFAS.
