Recent reports by researchers’ states that rainwater, almost everywhere on the earth’s surface has gained unsafe levels of ‘forever chemicals’.
Forever chemicals refer to Per-and poly-fluroalkyl substances (PFAS) which are human-made chemicals that don’t occur in nature. They are called forever chemicals because of their never breaking down nature.
These substances possess non-stick or stain repellent properties. Thus these can be found in household items like food packaging, electronics, cosmetics and cookware.
However, researchers presently at the University of Stockholm have discovered these substances in rainwater in most locations on the planet. This even includes the Antarctica. Researchers states that there is no safe way to escape them.
During the course of the last two decades, researchers around the globe have noticed dramatic drop in safe guideline levels for some of these forever chemicals. New insights about their toxicity led to it.
Ian Cousins, professor at the Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University asserted that there has been an astounding decline in guideline values for PFAS in drinking water in the last two decade. He is also the lead author of the study.
The famous “cancer-causing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)” has seen a decline of water guideline values by 37.5 million times in the US.
The Professor also stated that based on the latest guidelines for PFOA in drinking water, rainwater everywhere on the earth should be considered unsafe to drink.
