Blog

Jan 13, 2024

What’s in our water?

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday Whether it’s flowing out of your kitchen faucet or along a creek near your campground, we expect our water to be safe. But sometimes our water can make us sick.

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday

Whether it’s flowing out of your kitchen faucet or along a creek near your campground, we expect our water to be safe.

But sometimes our water can make us sick. Waterborne diseases are a growing problem as Minnesota’s climate warms. And we’re only now beginning to understand the health consequences of “forever chemicals” called PFAS that have seeped into our waterways.

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a state epidemiologist about how you can avoid getting sick from swimming in lakes or pools. And a public health professor explains his research into human-made chemicals in the water supply.

And we want to hear from you, too. Have you had a personal experience with contaminated water? Tell us about it. What questions do you have about the safety of drinking water or the water in our lakes and waterways?

Call 651-227-6000 or 800-242-2828 during the 9 a.m. hour.

Guests:

Trisha Robinson is an epidemiologist and the supervisor of the Waterborne Disease Unit with the Minnesota Department of Health.

Matt Simcik is a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on how and why organic pollutants end up in the atmosphere and water.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

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