A group of researchers from Stockholm University have issued an important warning, because in their research they have detected the presence of toxic substances in the atmosphere that spread around the world and would make rainwater no longer safe anywhere in the world.
Rainwater will no longer be considered safe. Source: publicdomainpicture.net.
In their study they point out that the presence of perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) in rain and snow already exceeds environmental reference levels, and that they can be found in rainwater and snow all over the world, including the most remote places on earth, according to a press release from Stockholm University.
Let us first look at why these substances are so dangerous.
We can start by saying that perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are a large group of artificially synthesized chemicals that have been disseminated in the environment and that their high concentrations are hazardous to health and can cause liver damage, thyroid disease, fertility problems and cancer.
They consist of perfluorinated carbon chains, amphiphilic in nature, which have great chemical stability and high activity, allowing them to accumulate over time in the environment, which has earned them the nickname of eternal substances, due to their incredible persistence, not only in the environment but also in the organism. Among them, the most widely produced has been perfluorooctanoic acid, a carboxylic acid widely used as a surfactant and in the manufacture of Teflon.
Structure of perfluorooctanoic acid. Source: Wikipedia.org.
However, the team from Stockholm University conducted laboratory and field work on the presence of these harmful substances during the last decade, and as a result they have detected that the concentration of some PFASs in the atmosphere is not decreasing despite the fact that their main manufacturers stopped producing them two decades ago. The problem is their persistence and their transport cycle, in which marine air returns them from the water to the atmosphere.
Sea water and wind have dispersed these substances all over the world. Source: publicdomainpicture.net.
And due to increased study and knowledge of the toxicity of these substances, the allowable environmental levels in drinking and surface water have decreased dramatically in the last 20 years, and according to the latest US guidelines for PFASs in water, rainwater worldwide would be considered unsafe to drink.
That is, due to their incredible persistence and global spread, and stricter regulations on their presence in water, then current levels exceed environmental quality guidelines precisely crafted to protect health.
The problem is that we can currently do very little to eliminate these substances from the environment, and as the authors of the study point out, the incredible sum of money it would cost to reduce the concentration of these substances in drinking water to safe levels should be paid by the companies that profited from their production.
Let us hope that in the future these warnings will be taken into account and solutions will be found to eliminate these substances from water. See you next time!