Drinking water systems in 74 California communities are contaminated with PFAS, affecting about 7.5 million people, according to the Environmental Working Group. Every water source sampled by the nonprofit had PFAS levels exceeding 1 part per trillion and over 40% had samples surpassing the Environmental Protection Agency's 70 ppt standard.

More than 610 drinking water supplies in 43 states may have unsafe levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, according to an interactive map from the Environmental Working Group and Northeastern University. "We still believe that we are still only seeing sort of the tip of the iceberg of contamination nationwide because not every place has had the kind of comprehensive testing that Michigan is undertaking," says EWG's Bill Walker.

Animal factory farms in the Maumee River watershed feeding Lake Erie released 5.5 million tons of manure in 2018, with most of the waste coming from unregulated facilities, according to the Environmental Working Group and the Environmental Law & Policy Center. Regulators could curb the problem and related phosphorus pollution by setting a total maximum daily load limit for releases under the Clean Water Act, says ELPC attorney Madeline Fleisher.

At least 2,000 chemical preservatives, flavors, colors and other chemicals are present in conventional packaged foods, and consumers may remain unaware that food manufacturers don't require approval from the FDA to use many of them, according to an Environmental Working Group report. The report states that 72 substances are not allowed to be used in organic food, while conventional foods may contain chemicals, such as sodium nitrate and BHA, that are linked to serious health problems.