A study showed dangerous "forever chemicals" have contaminated drinking water worldwide.
What's happening?
The paper, published in Nature Geoscience, found that these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances surpassed recommended levels in surface and groundwater and were especially prevalent in the United States, Europe, China, and Australia, CBS News reported.
What may be even more concerning than the elevated levels is that these hotspots correlate with the most tested areas. So, if testing increases in other places, it's possible "comparable results could be found across the globe," as CBS put it.
In April, the Biden-Harris administration announced it allocated $1 billion in additional funding to detect and treat PFAS-infested water. Similar legislation has long sprung up all over.
This was the first study to measure PFAS pollution across Earth.
Why is PFAS contamination important?
As Blue Marble reported, PFAS were known to harm marine wildlife as early as 1970. By the end of the decade, research showed that humans — especially those in PFAS manufacturing — were subject to the same toxic effects.
"Manufacturers knew that potentially damaging PFAS were accumulating in people's bloodstreams, but little was done to communicate that threat to the public — and by the turn of the century, the chemicals' spread was near-universal," according to the site. "In 2007, a U.S. study on members of the public found PFAS in more than 98% of blood samples."
The substances, called forever chemicals because they don't break down over time and can remain in our bodies and the environment for thousands of years if not longer, are used to make clothing, cookware, and firefighting foam, among countless other products.
Of the data from 45,000 water samples analyzed in the study, 69% contained PFAS levels that are not allowable in Canada. That mark was 32% for the U.S. and 6% for Europe.
"Many of our source waters are above PFAS regulatory limits," said Denis O'Carroll, a study author and professor at the University of New South Wales.
CBS reported O'Carroll was shocked to see that PFAS levels were so much higher than recommended — from above 5% to as high as 50%.
What's being done about PFAS?
Scientists and others continue to study forever chemicals because their effects are still unknown despite mounting evidence that they are at the very least problematic.
Avoiding PFAS entirely is likely impossible, but you can reduce your exposure by taking steps such as cooking at home, refraining from heating food in plastic packaging, and supporting PFAS-free brands.
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