Read the full article by Rachael Funnell (IFL Science)
“‘Forever chemicals‘, more scientifically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are now so widespread that new research estimates it’s unsafe to drink rainwater anywhere across the globe. Having spread globally in the atmosphere (now existing even in the air inside homes and schools), these human-made and harmful chemicals can be detected in rainwater and snow even in Earth’s most remote locations.
PFAS in rainwater were evaluated in a perspective article published in Environmental Science & Technology that looked at the concentrations of four PFAS in samples of rainwater, soil, and surface water from across the globe. The resulting concentrations revealed that the levels of PFAS greatly exceeded guidelines from the US Environmental Protection Agency Lifetime Drinking Water Health Advisory.
‘Based on the latest U.S. guidelines for PFOA in drinking water, rainwater everywhere would be judged unsafe to drink,’ said lead author Ian Cousins, a professor at the Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, in a statement.” …