One step closer to making our planet unfit for humans to live on.
Read the original article here in Naples Daily News.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Rainwater is now unsafe to drink worldwide because of ‘forever chemicals,’ study suggests
Wyatte Grantham-Philips
It’s now unsafe to drink rainwater around the world because of the growing presence of “forever chemicals,” a new study suggests.
In the study, published Aug. 2 in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology, researchers point to the dangers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
PFAS are a family of human-made chemicals used in countless products today, from food packaging to waterproof clothing. They can spread in the atmosphere and are now found in every corner of our Earth – including rainwater, snow and even human blood. PFAS are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they can last “thousands of years,” Clean Water Action notes.
A host of possible serious health consequences has been associated with PFAS, including cancer, infertility and pregnancy complications, immune system problems and increased cholesterol, according to researchers at Stockholm University and ETH Zurich.
In the Aug. 2 study, the team of environmental scientists noted that worldwide guidelines for levels of PFAS in drinking water have “progressively decreased over the last 22 years,” notably because of new research and awareness about the toxicity of PFAS.
Plastic pollution:Microplastics have been found in air, water, food and now … human blood
The declines underline growing concern about the chemicals, and what amount is safe to drink. For example, the researchers found that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health advisory for allowable levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), one PFAS variant associated with cancer risks, had declined by a factor of 37.5 million over the years – most recently from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to 0.004 parts per trillion.
The researchers found the levels of PFOA in drinking water in every part of the world, even some of the most remote areas, exceeded the EPA’s contamination guidelines.
