Rain has affected parts of Summer Norway this year. In Trondheim and Tromsø, for example, there has been much more rainfall than is normal for July. But the rain doesn’t just make many people sick. It also takes a lot of chemicals with it, shows a new Swedish study. There are around 7,000 perfluorinated substances. These are man-made, are abbreviated PFAS and pronounced pefas. They accumulate in nature and the body, and can be harmful to health. The researchers from the University of Stockholm selected four of the substances that are among the most known. Then they went through rainwater samples from, among other places, Sweden, the USA, Portugal and Tibet. The conclusion was that the amount of PFASs in rain is above the American and Danish safety limits for drinking water. In addition, the researchers believe that we have passed the limit of what the planet can tolerate from this chemical pollution. The research is published in Environmental science and technology. Until eternity Synthetic PFAS substances are used “everywhere”, according to the Institute of Public Health. You should preferably have a frying pan with a coating that prevents the food from burning. PFAS. You may have an all-weather jacket where the water almost bounces off. PFAS. Much food packaging contains PFAS. So does some paper and paint. The list is longer than long. Part of what we use to keep us dry contains PFAS. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB Norway is now working together with several other countries to get a European ban on all types of PFAS substances. Because the problem is that these do not break down and are lost in nature. Instead, there are just more and more of them without anything disappearing. That is why PFAS are called forever chemicals. In the meantime, they rain down, and can be in the dust and air around us. – Then we can have an increased incidence of certain disorders, says Audun Heggelund. He is chief engineer in the Norwegian Environment Agency. No “safe” place PFAS is found in rainwater in so many places on the globe that there is nowhere to hide to avoid the substances completely. This is what the new study shows, according to the researchers from the University of Stockholm. – I’m not saying we’re going to die from these effects. But we are in a place now where you cannot live anywhere on the planet and be sure that the environment is safe, says Professor Ian Cousins to the BBC. He is behind the Swedish study. There is some research into the health effects of some of the PFASs. Some interfere with the immune system and make vaccines work less well in children. Other substances can inhibit fetal development. – You cannot completely escape these substances, says Heggelund of the Norwegian Environment Agency. At the same time, he does not want to exaggerate how serious the findings are in our everyday lives. – You shouldn’t be afraid of rainwater. You should not be afraid to bathe. You shouldn’t be afraid to eat fish. Audun Heggelund in the Norwegian Environment Agency is working to get a ban on PFAS. Photo: Fartein Rudjord / Fartein Rudjord Those who ingest the most PFAS are precisely those who eat a lot of fish and shellfish. But the Scientific Committee for Food and the Environment has concluded that the benefit of eating fish up to three to four times a week is greater than the risk of environmental toxins. The rules are being tightened As scientists have found out more about how PFAS affects the body, the rules have become stricter. The limit values say something about how much of these substances the authorities consider safe to ingest. The Swedish researchers behind the new study have used the limits for drinking water. Then they used them on rain as an illustration of the amount of PFAS in the environment. – In this sense, the comparison says that rainwater is only dangerous if you intend to use rainwater as drinking water for the rest of your life, says Heggelund. He believes it is the total amount of PFAS we are exposed to that gives cause for concern. Norwegians mostly drink from the tap, not rainwater. Photo: Tor Michael Skillestad Most Norwegians also get water from waterworks that monitor the quality. – There are low PFAS values in Norwegian drinking water. That is what is important here. Because that is what most of us ingest on a daily basis, says senior advisor Anders Bekkelund at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. He believes we know more than enough to avoid spreading more PFAS into nature. – Good forces A European ban on PFAS could perhaps come into place in two to three years. – There is a very high hope that it can help, and there are many good forces pulling in the same direction, says Heggelund in the Norwegian Environment Agency. He believes that it is the authorities who do the most important job of removing PFAS from products around us. But he has some advice for those who want to try to do something themselves. – You can ask for fluorine-free or PFAS-free products in the store. It will be a signal to the shops and suppliers. Because there are already good alternatives to PFAS in many areas such as frying pans and outerwear. The only problem is that it can be difficult to know which is the best choice. – Choosing the swan label is safe, so it’s a tip that can be used, says Heggelund.
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Eternal chemicals (PFAS) are raining down all over the globe – news Trøndelag
