Until today we thought that bottled water Water will protect us from forever chemicals, but we couldn't have been more wrong. New studies show that 99% of the world's bottled water contains forever chemicals, including PFAS.
PFAS, or Forever Chemicals as most people call them, are a group of synthetic chemicals used in a variety of products because of their water repellency and stain repellency. However, the chemicals that give these properties never break down. Hence the name Forever Chemicals.
These chemicals can cause a whole host of health problems when they come into contact with our bodies over long periods of time. Now, new study has found these chemicals in 99% of bottled water around the world and it has caused a sensation.
The study was published in ACS ES&T Water and presents a very indicative picture of the extensive contamination by the forever Chemicals, in various brands of bottled water Water. At the same time, it shows the need for immediate action by regulators to monitor these chemicals, as they need to be brought under control.
For years we have seen a variety of solutions to forever chemicals, including ways to be able to break them down completely so that these chemicals can be removed from water. But these are small solutions compared to the huge problem of detecting forever chemicals in almost all brands of bottled water, which means that over the years we have been slowly poisoning a commodity as essential as water.
The findings came from 87 different chips in 15 countries, as well as from 55 tap water samples in the UK and China. The study shows that just because water is natural, it does not mean it is immune to forever chemicals. In fact, the researchers found the exact opposite.
The discovery that forever chemicals are found in the water we drink has already fuelled more research and started discussions on policy and regulations for control. At the same time, scientists are looking for ways to get rid of these harmful chemicals.
If you don't know what forever chemicals are, the European Chemicals Agency, he writes:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of thousands of synthetic chemicals used throughout society. However, they are increasingly being detected as environmental pollutants and some are associated with adverse effects on human health.
They all contain carbon-fluorine compounds, which are one of the most powerful chemical compounds in organic chemistry. This means that they are difficult to break down both during use and when they are released into the environment. Also, most PFAS are easily transported in the environment, covering long distances away from the source of their release.
The contamination of groundwater, surface water and soil from the PFAS is a phenomenon that is often observed. Cleaning up polluted sites is technically difficult and expensive. If releases continue, they will continue to accumulate in the environment, drinking water and food.
The study was published in ACS ES&T Water.
