What is PFAS and why do they cause care?
According to Dr. John Kuzin, an environmental scientist at Stockholm University, PFAS (first and polyphluaroral substances) is a group of synthetic chemicals used in foam foam, unfriendly dishes, food packaging and resilient fabric. These chemicals are known as “permanently chemicals” because they do not deteriorate naturally and are stored in the environment for generations.In the world study, co -authored, Doctor Bo Sha, Doctor Gian H. Johansson, Dr. Martin Sheringer and Dr. Matthew Salter, PFAS were discovered in rain water from regions isolated as Tibetan Plateau and Antarctica. Their conclusions indicate that the raindrous water across the planet may contain the PFAS level that exceeds the safety recommendations set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Health risks associated with PFAS
Only four pfas, PFOA, PFHX and PFNA connections were widely understood, but only they are related to serious health risks. Dr. Kuzin and his team note that the increased effect of these chemicals was associated with an increase in the risk of thyroid disease, enlargement of the liver, high cholesterol, suppression of immunity, pregnancy complications and even some cancers. Especially regarding the effect is a decrease in vaccine efficiency in children, the risk that pushed EPA dramatically reduce the recommended PFAS restrictions for drinking water.While the overall level of these chemicals in the environment has not increased in recent years, their extraordinary stability means that they have remained higher than the thresholds of health consultants since the early 2000s and is unlikely to decline significantly.
What can be done and rain water is still drinking?
Asked if it was safe to drink rain water, Dr. Kuzin and his colleagues were cautious. “We are uncertain,” they wrote. While the extremely low PFAS level (in picograms or nanograms per liter) can not cause noticeable damage immediately, cumulative risks remain. Modern health recommendations are based on the principles of precautions aimed at protecting the health of the population even in the worst scenarios.Although technologies exist to filter PFAS from the water, removing them to the level below modern safety standards is difficult and expensive. There is no way to exclude PFAS from food, and they are even present in closed dust. According to Dr. Kuzins, “people will have to live with some level of PFAS”, but unnecessary use must be limited.The team concludes that all PFA applications must be critical of importance. “PFA does not take place under natural conditions,” said Dr. Martin Sheringer, co-author of the study, adding that the policy should proceed to minimize their distribution and use, wherever possible.
The final conclusion
So, is it safe to drink rain water during this monsoon? Not without proper treatment. Although it may feel nostalgia and pure, reality is that even the rain, which falls into distant corners of the world, can carry microscopic chemical residues that can cause risk over time. Experts such as Dr. Jan Kuzin and his colleagues call for caution and suggest leaning on filtered or regulated drinking water, while pressing global pfas reforms.The rain is still a joy, but when it comes to your drinking water, science says it is better to be safe than sorry.
