They told you beer was safe. They sold you the narrative: hops, barley, fermentation — the simple alchemy. But the new study from RTI International, “Hold My Beer: The Linkage between Municipal Water and Brewing Location on PFAS in Popular Beverages,” shatters that illusion. They found PFAS — per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances, those unbreakable, un‑trustworthy forever chemicals — in 95% of the beers tested1.
These are the same chemicals already tied to cancer, endocrine disruption, obesity, immune damage. The ones that persist in soil, water, even your blood. No one really “gets rid” of them2.
What the Study Found
- 23 different beers were tested. Some brewed in areas with documented PFAS contamination in their water. Others were “popular” domestic/international brands where the water source was murkier1.
- There’s a strong correlation: the more PFAS in the municipal water where a brewery is located, the more PFAS in the beer. It’s obvious. Water is the main vector1.
- Beers brewed near places like the Cape Fear River Basin (North Carolina) showed the highest levels — and the broadest mix — of PFAS compounds, including PFOS and PFOA. Regions like Michigan and parts of California also showed elevated levels3.
- Disturbingly, some beers exceeded EPA drinking‑water limits for PFOA or PFOS, which is terrifying since those limits were designed for water, not beer — yet beer is being treated like water when consumed (in large volumes)4.
Why They Let This Slide
- Because standard brewery filtration systems and water treatment protocols aren’t built to remove PFAS. They might clean out sediment, microbes, maybe chlorine, but forever chemicals? That’s a different beast3.
- Regulatory lag: governments only recently began setting limits for PFAS like PFOS and PFOA in drinking water; even fewer rules apply to actual food or drink products. So the companies upstream, the polluters, the regulators — everyone has plausible deniability2.
- Transparency is scarce. Many breweries do not publicly disclose their water sources or PFAS testing. Consumers are left in the dark.
Real‑World Consequences
This is more than abstract hazard:
- Chronic exposure to PFAS has been associated with cancers, immune weakness, hormonal disruption, metabolic disorders. Every sip adds up2.
- Areas already suffering from polluted water — usually lower-income or under‑regulated regions — are likely bearing most of the burden. Inequality in poisoning.
- Because PFAS are so persistent, once they’re in the environment (water, soil), once they’re in our bodies, they don’t just vanish.
What They Should Do (If They Woke Up)
- Mandate PFAS‑specific filtration for breweries: activated carbon, reverse osmosis, whatever actually works3.
- Tighten regulations: not just for water, but for all consumables. If drinking water needs limits, so should the beer thousands down the chain.
- Enforce cleanup and monitoring of water sources. Stop letting polluting industries dump or leak forever chemicals into rivers, groundwater.
- Full transparency: breweries should label if their water source is PFAS‑tested; public access to data.
Bottom Line
You’re probably drinking PFAS. It’s not conspiracy theory — it’s documented science. When the government sets rules only for water, allows chemical companies and municipalities to keep using forever chemicals without full accountability, the poison spreads into everything — even your beer. Don’t assume your beer’s safe just because it’s a popular name.
Call to Action
Read Seven Steps to Protect Yourself from Bank Failure by Bill Brocius. Not because it’s only about banks — it’s about systems failing all around you, including health, supply, trust. Download it here and start arming yourself with knowledge. Know what you drink. Know what you demand.
— Derek Wolfe
Endnotes
- RTI International, “Hold My Beer: The Linkage between Municipal Water and Brewing Location on PFAS in Popular Beverages,” 2025.
- ScienceDaily. “Harmful ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in 95% of US Beers.” Published September 11, 2025.
- Phys.org. “Some Beers Have Highest PFAS Levels Among Tested Food and Drink.” May 2025.
- ScienceAlert. “Forever Chemicals Found in Popular US Beers—Above EPA Limits.” September 2025.