World’s Wildlife Contaminated by ‘Permanent Chemicals’

PARIS – Hundreds of wildlife species around the world, from pandas to sea lions to tigers, are contaminated with potentially harmful ‘eternal chemicals’, review of hundreds of peer-reviewed studies reveals became.

More than 300 wildlife species showed traces of the nearly indestructible synthetic chemical, according to a report from the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) PFAS project lab released Wednesday.

of Mapping 125+ peer-reviewed scientific studies This is the first global survey of wildlife problems, the authors say.

A detailed survey in Europe, where more data are available than anywhere else in the world, revealed Thursday so-called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at 17,000 sites across the continent. rice field.

Over 2,000 have been classified as hazardous to human health.

“If a species is tested for PFAS contamination, regardless of country or continent, these harmful chemicals will show up,” EWG said.

According to the report, the blank spots on the world map, especially in Africa and South America, are likely due to lack of data.

The non-degradable repellent PFAS, also known as the “forever chemical,” was introduced in the 1940s. The best known is Teflon, which is used in nonstick cookware.

Persistent chemical contamination is present in air, water and soil and has been shown to pose health risks to humans, including cancer.

The European investigation was the result of months of research by 18 European newsrooms collectively known as “The Forever Pollution Project”.

“Planetary Boundaries”

Their analysis concluded that Europe is much more polluted by PFAS than previously understood, and that removing these harmful chemicals from nature would cost tens of billions of euros.

“Because they do not degrade in the environment and are highly mobile, they can be detected in water, air, rain, otters, cod, boiled eggs and humans,” said the researchers.