Yes, a 2025 study found PFAS in 95 percent of US beers tested, but the source is the brewing water, not the beer itself. Beers made in areas with PFAS-contaminated tap water carried the most, and some exceeded the EPA’s drinking-water limits. So your beer largely reflects the local water it was brewed with.
Key takeaways
– A 2025 study detected PFAS in about 95 percent of the US beers it tested.
– Levels tracked local water quality; beers from contaminated regions had the most.
– The highest levels appeared in beers from Michigan, California, and North Carolina’s Cape Fear area; some topped EPA water limits.
What the study found
Researchers at RTI International, publishing in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science and Technology in 2025 (Redmon et al., “Hold My Beer”), tested beers from across the United States and detected PFAS in roughly 95 percent of samples. The chemicals included PFOS and PFOA, two well-studied forever chemicals that now have EPA drinking-water limits. Crucially, they found a strong correlation between PFAS in a region’s drinking water and PFAS in the beer brewed there.
Why brewing water is the key
Beer is mostly water, and breweries typically use municipal tap water that often receives only standard treatment, which does not remove PFAS. So whatever PFAS is in the local supply largely carries through into the finished beer. That is why small craft breweries in contaminated areas showed higher levels: they brew with local water and may lack advanced filtration. The beers with the highest PFAS came from Michigan, California, and North Carolina, especially the Cape Fear River Basin, all areas with known water contamination.
How worried should you be?
The detected levels reached as high as around 40 parts per trillion in some beers, and some exceeded the EPA’s drinking-water thresholds. PFAS are linked to a range of health concerns at sustained exposure, so this is a legitimate finding, but it is also a reflection of a broader water problem rather than something unique to beer. The practical message is that the cleanliness of your beer follows the cleanliness of its brewing water. For the wider picture, see how to avoid PFAS and our guide to a water filter for PFAS.
FAQ
Does beer contain PFAS?
Often, yes. A 2025 study found PFAS in about 95 percent of the US beers it tested, including PFOS and PFOA. The amount depends heavily on the brewing water, so beers from areas with cleaner municipal water tend to have less.
Which beers have the most PFAS?
Beers brewed in regions with PFAS-contaminated water had the highest levels, notably parts of Michigan, California, and North Carolina’s Cape Fear area. Small craft breweries using local water without advanced filtration were more likely to show higher levels.
Where does the PFAS in beer come from?
From the brewing water. Beer is mostly water, and standard municipal treatment does not remove PFAS, so contamination in the local supply carries through into the finished beer. The study found a strong link between regional water PFAS and beer PFAS.
Is it dangerous to drink beer with PFAS?
Some tested beers exceeded the EPA’s drinking-water limits, and PFAS are linked to health concerns with sustained exposure. It is a real finding, but it mirrors a broader water-contamination issue. Moderation and awareness of your region’s water quality are the sensible takeaways.
Is imported or large-brand beer safer?
Not reliably, since it still depends on the brewing water and region. Large breweries may have more filtration capacity, but the study’s key predictor was local water quality, not brand size. There is no simple safe-brand rule from the data.
The bottom line
Most US beers carry some PFAS, and the level mirrors the water they were brewed with rather than anything intrinsic to beer. It is a real result and another argument for cleaning up drinking water at the source, the issue that drives PFAS in countless everyday products.
