High Above The Amazon Rainforest, A “Shocking” Discovery Of Airborne Forever Chemicals

By Tom Hale | IFL Science | September 26, 2024

Read the full article by Tom Hale (IFL Science)

“In the balmy air above the Amazon rainforest, nasty human-made chemicals called PFAS have been discovered for the first time. While it’s known that ‘forever chemicals’ have become ubiquitous in the natural world, the researchers behind the discovery have described it as ‘shocking’. 

An international team of scientists collected air from a 325-meter-tall (1,066-foot) tower extending far above the Brazilian Amazon’s forest canopy.

Within the samples, they discovered high levels of PFAS, or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, synthetic chemicals used in a variety of everyday products, from food packaging and cookware to fabrics and cosmetics.

Owing to their durability, PFAS persist in the environment indefinitely, hence the nickname ‘forever chemicals’. They contaminate much of the world’s water supply and have been found across most natural environments, including Antarctica and the rainwater of Tibet.”…

This content provided by the PFAS Project.

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• Environment
• Wildlife
• Affected community
• Health
• Measurement Techniques
• Monitoring Data