The forever chemicals hiding in every raindrop

Rain falling anywhere on Earth, even in Antarctica, now contains forever chemicals at levels that would make it unsafe to drink. Researchers from Stockholm University and ETH Zurich spent more than a decade tracking PFAS, the chemicals used in nonstick pans and waterproof fabric. These compounds barely break down in nature, so they build up in rain, snow, and soil. The team compared measured PFAS in the air to changing safety guidelines for drinking water. In the US, the guideline for one PFAS called PFOA was cut by 37.5 million times over twenty years as health risks became clearer. Against that current guideline, rainwater everywhere, including on the Tibetan Plateau, is now judged unsafe. Even though 3M stopped making major PFOA compounds two decades ago, the chemicals persist and keep cycling through the atmosphere. The scientists say humanity has crossed a planetary boundary for chemical pollution.

License: TypeCram Original