In another advancement regarding the decaying of our planet in exchange for modern production, our atmosphere is so contaminated with a certain strain of man-made chemicals that it has officially made rainwater unsafe to drink no matter where you are on earth.
A recent study has scientists begging companies to find other ways to make their products without continuing to use these chemicals.
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A study suggests that rainwater is officially unsafe to drink everywhere.
A team of environmental scientists from the University of Stockholm published a paper earlier this month with the declaration, measuring the water samples they tested against the US contamination guidelines and finding them all to be dangerous.
What exactly makes the water so unsafe?
Rainwater samples from around the world contained hazardous chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. PFAS is a human-made chemical used in the production of millions of products worldwide, like non-stick coatings on pots and pans.
The team has been studying PFAS for a decade now, and found that they’ve spread across our entire atmosphere, seeping into our rainwater.
PFAS are often called ‘forever chemicals.’
This is due to their ability to linger for a long, long time without ever breaking down. Instead, they build up in the environment. They’re found widely across the world and have been linked to decreased fertility, high cholesterol, some types of cancers, and more.
It’s affected more than just our rainwater.
But it’s gotten into our soil as well. As the paper puts it, the earth’s soil is “ubiquitously contaminated” with PFAS, and given the nature of the chemicals, they’s continue to affect our soil for ages to come.
They recognize that rainwater isn’t often treated as drinking water.
Ian Cousins, lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Stockholm Department of Environmental Science, put out a press release that reads, “Although in the industrial world we don’t often drink rainwater [directly], many people around the world expect it to be safe to drink, and it supplies many of our drinking water sources.”
They’re calling for the extreme reduction of PFAS uses.
Because of the concentrated presence of PFAS in our earth’s water and soil, the team said they’ve exceeded the “planetary boundary” for human health.
“It is vitally important that PFAS uses and emissions are rapidly restricted,” the study says.
h/t: Insider
