Arctic snow shows up to 71 times more PFAS during sunny months

By Örebro Universitet | Phys.org | December 19, 2024

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"PFAS refers collectively to the thousands of man-made chemicals that take a very long time to break down in nature. None of these substances occur naturally—also called forever chemicals, and several are suspected of negatively affecting humans and nature.

These chemicals, used in clothing, kitchenware, and waterproofing agents, are spread out throughout nature and in the bodies of animals and humans worldwide. For example, a type of PFAS called PFOS has been found in polar bear blood.

"Similar PFOS levels have been measured in polar bears as in humans living near PFAS factories in China. It's astounding that polar bears in such remote locations carry the same PFOS levels as people in the world's most polluted areas," says William Hartz, a postdoctoral researcher at Örebro University."