According to new research published in Environmental science and technology.
The Stockholm University study found that levels of PFAS contamination are so persistent and widespread that even the world’s most sparsely populated regions, such as Antarctica and the Tibetan Plateau, contained levels of “substances forever” toxic chemicals that surpass even the most “strict” ones. ”, the authors said.
“There is no place on Earth where rain is safe to drink, based on the measurements we’ve taken,” said Ian Cousins, a professor at the university and lead author of the study. said recently
Forever PFAS chemicals, so named because they don’t break down easily, build up in the body once ingested, which can lead to a range of health problems.
Phil Brown, Director of the Social Sciences Environmental Health Research Institute and Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University
The news is sure to put a burden on water suppliers, he says Phil BrownUniversity Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences and Director of the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeastern.
“Drinking and municipal water providers are going to have a hard time figuring out what to do with this,” he says.
The report comes after the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency new health recommendations for PFAS in June as part of the Biden administration strategic plan to deliver more clean water to US communities. Those warnings, which Brown says are different from regulatory limits, were scaled back after the chemicals were found to be associated with a “reduced immune system response to childhood vaccines.”
“These are thousands of times lower than what we’ve had so far, and they’re not prescriptive,” he says. “But they are part of the way to achieve regulatory and maximum pollutant levels.”
But, says Brown, in all likelihood “no one will be able to reach” these new levels.
“What it does is it puts people on alert that there are real health effects, even at these lower levels,” says Brown.
The report also hits the middle new research published in JHEP Reports that found high levels of PFAS exposure are linked to an increased risk of liver cancer or non-viral hepatocellular carcinoma. A particular chemical subset of PFAS, called perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, is strongly linked to disease.
Jesse Goodrich, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Population Sciences and Public Health at the Keck School of Medicine, said in a statement that the study is the first to confirm a link using human samples.
“Liver cancer is one of the most serious effects of liver disease and this is the first human study to show that PFASs are associated with this disease,” he said.
Brown says exposure to high levels of PFAS can also lead to decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, and prostate, kidney or testicular cancer. There is also a lot of evidence linking PFAS poisoning to various metabolic disorders, as well as obesity and diabetes, he says.
Northeastern researchers launched a online interactive map of the US that identifies areas of concern due to high levels of chemicals.
What is being done to counter the prevalence of PFAS?
Brown says there are many efforts underway to combat the proliferation of PFAS, from the development and refinement of filtration technologies designed to trap the substances in water, to “heat treatments” that essentially incinerate the chemicals.
The most important thing, he says, is to hold big corporations accountable for their outsized role in manufacturing products that contain PFAS, which can be found in everything from clothing and kitchen appliances to dental floss, foam fires and food packaging.
“The best thing we can do is cut it off at the source,” he says.
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