Study reveals everyday activity with horrifying unexpected impact: 'These findings underscore the need for an urgent ban'A new study out of the ...
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network
A new study out of the United Kingdom suggests everyday tasks like washing pots and shampooing your hair could seriously pollute marine environments with harmful "forever chemicals." Called PFAS, these chemicals are known to leach into water — but the extent of their impact is just being uncovered.
What's happening?
Scientists at the University of Portsmouth recently partnered with the Marine Conservation Society to investigate the presence of PFAS — or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — in marine environments.
PFAS are human-made chemicals found in food packaging, nonstick cookware, water-resistant clothing, personal care items such as shampoo, and more. They are often called "forever chemicals" because they "usually take hundreds or thousands of years to break down," the World Economic Forum reports.
Per a University of Portsmouth article on Phys.org, scientists collected seawater samples before and after sewage discharges from a U.K. wastewater treatment plant servicing more than 400,000 people. The researchers found PFAS concentrations increased significantly after sewage discharges. Before sewage discharge, one detectable PFAS compound was found in tested waterways. Afterward, eight different PFAS compounds were detected — including two banned PFAS.
Attached link
https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/pfas-forever-chemicals-pollution-marine-environment/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/environmentTaxonomy
- PFAS