Researchers Detect “Forever Chemicals” In Arctic Seawater
Aug. 14, 2020
Researchers find 29 different PFAS coming in and going out of the Arctic Ocean.
For the first time, “forever chemicals” – so named because of their tendency to stick around in the environment for a long period of time – are found in Arctic waters, according to an article from Science Alert. Researchers reportedly detected 29 different per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) coming in and going out of the Arctic Ocean. Some PFAS, chemicals common to many household products, have reportedly been linked to cancer and liver disease.
According to the article, an even more disturbing find was the presence of HFPO-DA, a supposedly less persistent compound developed as an environmentally friendlier alternative to a PFAS knows as PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid). HFPO-DA is reportedly now under its own scrutiny for its potentially adverse impact on human health and the environment. The presence of the compound in Arctic seawaters was the first time it has been shown to travel long distances. According to the article, “higher levels of PFAS were detected in the water going out of the Arctic Ocean compared with the water flowing in from the North Atlantic, suggesting these substances arrived through sources in the atmosphere rather than the ocean.”
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