A new study led by scientists in the United States have said that a chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid found in tap water that’s been linked to cancer could also raise levels of cholesterol. Results of the study are published in the journal ‘Archives of Toxicology’.

Perfluorooctanoic acid has long been used in products such as frying pans and food packaging to stop materials like plastics sticking together.

But it is part of a family of substances dubbed ‘forever chemicals’ — known to persist in both the environment and inside people’s bodies for years without breaking down.

The researchers have suggested the compound — which has previously been found in UK tap water supplies — could raise cholesterol levels, raising the risk of heart disease and strokes.