From ticks to whales: a map of animal infection with "eternal chemicals" has been compiled

Scientists have compiled an interactive map that shows how widely the blood of wild animals around the world is contaminated with "eternal chemicals" of PFAS. The authors of the map, the Working Group on Environmental Protection (EWG), combined and analyzed many peer-reviewed studies and eventually presented the most complete picture of the penetration of PFAS into nature to date. Judging by it, toxic compounds that cause cancer and other diseases have been found in ticks, scorpions, pandas, Amur tigers, turtles, horses, dogs, sea lions, wild boars, otters, oysters... The scale of pollution is "sobering", the Guardian quotes the authors of the map.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances, is a class of approximately 12,000 synthetic substances that are used to impart consumer properties to goods. Items with PFAS do not burn out, they are not afraid of water and dirt. They are called "eternal chemicals" because PFAS do not break down naturally. In addition, there is evidence that they cause cancer, liver and kidney diseases and other serious health problems. PFAS are found in the blood of people, and as the new map shows, wild animals in all corners of the world. Even penguins and wild bears in the Arctic far from production are infected with them, since PFAS continuously circulate in the environment, moving over long distances.

In total, about 120 types of PFAS compounds were found in the blood of animals. The authors of the study believe that due to the difficulties with testing, the real numbers are higher. It is not clear exactly how pollution affects health. But last year, American scientists discovered autoimmune disorders similar to lupus in alligators living in water contaminated with PFAS from a nearby chemical plant. Problems with the immune system due to exposure to PFAS have also been identified in sea turtles in the North Pacific.

Unfortunately, Russia is a white spot on this map.