The number of chemical compounds, called “eternal chemicals” because of their ability to remain in the environment for many years and accumulate in the body, has exceeded threshold values ​​in one-third of the locations on Earth. These are the results of research conducted by scientists from Australia and the USA.

“Infinite chemicals” include approximately 14,000 substances. These are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – organofluorine compounds that pollute the environment, can accumulate in the human body and lead to negative health consequences. PFAS are used in the production of Teflon (mainly in electronics production – to a lesser extent in frying pans). And although a certain amount of these substances remains in Teflon products (which is why they are found in phones or dishes), the majority of PFAS enters the environment from production facilities and is then independently transported around the world by water and precipitation.

Changes in the human body caused by “eternal chemicals” include hormonal disorders, type 2 diabetes and obesity. These substances also increase the risk of some types of cancer, especially liver cancer. Many countries are therefore discussing regulatory and legal actions that would ban the use of PFAS in certain industries, and in some, for example the USA, similar restrictions have already come into force for certain industries.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia and the University of Oklahoma in the United States examined more than 45,000 surface and groundwater samples from different parts of the world since 2004. The source of the data was a global cluster of 273 environmental studies. The results of the assessment of global pollution by “eternal chemicals” were published by the journal Natural Geology.

Scientists have found that in a large number of cases the level of PFAS exceeds global norms. At the same time, the level of “persistent chemicals” in 31% of the samples exceeded the limit set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Safe values ​​were exceeded in 69% of samples by Canadian standards and in 6% of groundwater samples with unknown pollution sources by EU standards.

According to the study’s authors, current monitoring methods may be underestimating how much “persistent chemicals” pollute the environment. Scientists have suggested the possible reason that not all PFAS levels are monitored as a rule and that the actual pollution of the world’s water resources is stronger than expected.

According to researchers, the burden of environmental protection in the near future is also underestimated. They noted there is a need for more accurate measurement of PFAS, more systematic sampling of water supplies around the world, and the development of analytical methods that allow for the assessment of the effects of a wide range of “persistent chemicals” on humans and the environment.