For millions of years, the rainwater on Earth was safe for its denizens to drink. It has taken us less than 200 years to make it undrinkable for all life on the planet. According to a study by scientists from Stockholm University and ETH Zurich “forever chemicals” have spread throughout our planet’s entire atmosphere. Rainwater samples taken from Antarctica, the Tibetan plateau, Greenland, and Southwestern Australia have all shown disturbingly high concentrations of PFAS.
Up until recently, scientists believed that PFAS would leach into the ocean, where they’d dilute and break down over several years. New studies confirm that this isn’t true. In fact, the high concentrations of PFAS in our oceans are worsening the situation significantly.
What are the “Forever Chemicals” in Rainwater?
The chemicals found in rainwater worldwide are primarily per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFOA, PFOS, and PFAS). These are man-made hazardous chemicals that are used in a wide variety of items. They’re present in things like shampoo and makeup, but are also present in non-stick coatings on pots and pans, as well as food packaging, furniture upholstery, electronics, fire-extinguishing foam, water-repellent clothing, and carpets. Pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags contain them, as do contact lenses, printer inks, yoga pants, and nail polish.
These chemicals don’t interact with others much, which is why they’re used in non-stick items. They’re ideal for resisting oils, water, stains, and heat. Unfortunately, since they don’t break down easily, they remain in various environments indefinitely. This includes both the environment, and our bodies.
These chemicals have leached into the water table and evaporated throughout the planet’s atmosphere. Additionally, they get released into the air during the manufacturing process. They get aerosolized in ocean spray, spread around the world, and fall back to the ground as rain. As a result, they can now be found in snow, groundwater, and rain water in Earth’s most remote areas.
Ian Cousins is a professor at Stockholm university, and was the study’s lead author. He said: “There is nowhere on Earth where the rain would be safe to drink, according to the measurements that we have taken.”
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What Effects do PFAS Have on Us?
PFAS are linked to a variety of serious health issues. These include infertility and pregnancy complications in women, as well as immune system issues, learning and behavioral problems in children, and cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization (WHO). Its primary purpose is to identify possible carcinogens and other cancer-causing factors worldwide. The IARC has classified PFOA and PFOS as “carcinogenic to humans”. This categorization is based on the fact that they cause cancer in lab animals.
The primary types of cancer that PFAS are known to cause are:
- Breast Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Carcinoma)
- Testicular Cancer
In addition to these, PFOA and PFOS are also likely linked to:
- Leukemia (primarily in men
- Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Brain and Nervous System Cancer
- Colorectal and Digestive System Cancer (apparently linked with PFHxS and PFBA exposure)
- Oral and Throat Cancers
- Soft Tissue Cancers
According to Cousins, the “acceptability” of carcinogenic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has declined by approximately 37.5 million times in the USA over the past 20 years.
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If Rain Isn’t Safe for Us to Drink, It Isn’t Safe for Animals or Plants Either
Jane Muncke is the managing director for the Food Packaging Forum in Switzerland. She was not involved in this study, but gave a TED talk last year on How Plastic Packaging Impacts Human Health. It isn’t just humans that are affected by PFAS, however. Animals also require water to survive, and these chemicals affect their health and wellbeing as well.
Studies have shown that wild animals, livestock, and domestic pets alike are affected by PFAS. Some of the most common issues that affect animals exposed to these chemicals are:
- Reproductive and Developmental Failure (i.e. lessened fertility, reduced hatch rates in turtles and birds, impaired motor skills)
- Liver and Kidney Damage and Dysfunction
- Immune Suppression
- Hormone and Thyroid Disruption
- Various Cancers and Tumors
What many people fail to realize is that chemical concentrations multiply as they move up the food chain. For example, a mouse might drink rainwater and absorb these harmful chemicals. That mouse is then eaten by a cat, who absorbs not only the mouse’s chemicals, but water from puddles it drinks from as well. Then that feral cat is killed by a coyote. The coyote absorbs chemicals from the cat’s body, as do the crows, ravens, foxes, and other creatures who feed from it.
This results in apex predators like eagles, wolves, polar bears, dolphins, orcas, and lions being serious affected by PFAS. Not only do all of these animals drink rainwater, but they feed on other creatures to survive.
Muncke has asserted that companies must stop using PFAS immediately to preserve live on the planet.
“It cannot be that some few benefit economically while polluting the drinking water for millions of others, and causing serious health problems”, she said.
Featured Photo by reza shayestehpour on Unsplash