Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances were detected in 95% of beer samples, with concentrations strongly associated with contamination in the breweries’ municipal water sources, according to the results of a new study.
Among these chemicals, perfluorosulfonic acids—especially perfluorooctanesulfonic acid—were the most frequently detected, present in 84% of samples. Three beers exceeded the maximum contaminant level set by the EPA for perfluorooctanoic acid, and one beer exceeded the limit for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid.
“Approximately 18% of U.S. breweries are located within zip codes with detectable Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. Our findings link PFAS in beer to brewery water sources and may inform policy, brewer decisions, and consumer awareness,” noted researchers led by Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, MSPH, and Nicole M. DeLuca, MS, from RTI International.
Methodology
Researchers adapted EPA Method 533 to measure PFAS in beer for the first time. A total of 23 beers were selected across 4 categories:
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Beers brewed in North Carolina, particularly from areas with high PFAS levels in drinking water (n = 10)
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Beers from other U.S. states with high PFAS in municipal water (n = 5)
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Popular national U.S. beers (n = 5)
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International beers available in U.S. stores (n = 3)
In phase 1, researchers screened 19 different beer types using 1 sample per beer. In phase 2, they analyzed 15 beer types using 5 replicate samples from 5 different cans to evaluate variability and detectability.
Only 17 PFAS were analyzed due to detection limitations in the beer matrix. PFAS were quantified using modified solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.
Results
One or more PFAS were detected above the method detection limit in 71 of 75 beer aliquots. The most frequently detected compounds included:
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Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS; 84%)
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Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS; 53%)
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Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS; 47%)
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Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; 36%)
The highest PFAS concentrations in individual samples were:
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Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA): 19.911 parts per trillion (ppt)
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Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA): 18.231 ppt
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PFBS: 15.131 ppt
The highest total PFAS concentration measured in a single beer sample was 40.077 ppt, from a beer brewed in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. All 5 aliquots of a Chatham County, North Carolina beer exceeded 30 ppt.
Statistical analysis showed strong positive correlations between beer PFAS concentrations and municipal water PFAS concentrations for total PFAS (r = 0.82), PFOA (r = 0.90), and PFBS (r = 0.71). No correlation was found for PFOS (r = –0.09), suggesting other environmental factors or sources may influence its presence.
Three beers exceeded the EPA’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA (4 ppt)—two from North Carolina’s upper Cape Fear River Basin and one from Kalamazoo, Michigan. One beer from the lower Cape Fear River Basin exceeded the MCL for PFOS (4 ppt).
Implications
This is the first study to use modified EPA Method 533 to analyze PFAS in beer and compare results to regional drinking water contamination.
Beers brewed in areas with known PFAS contamination in water had 15 times the odds of PFAS detection compared with national or international beers that were selected for popularity and not known contamination. International beers, particularly those from Mexico and the Netherlands, were less likely to contain detectable PFAS, likely reflecting regional differences in water contamination.
For brewers, particularly small or craft operations, these findings suggest that advanced water filtration methods—such as activated carbon, ion exchange, or reverse osmosis—may be important for reducing PFAS levels in beer. Municipal water treatment systems have been shown to be largely ineffective at removing PFAS, placing the filtration burden on individual brewers.
The authors declared having no competing interests.