NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Researchers out of Europe say global levels of man-made "forever chemicals" have made rainwater unsafe to drink around the world — even in the most remote areas.
The study, published in peer-review journal Environmental Science and Technology on Tuesday from researchers at Stockholm University and ETH Zurich, argues that guideline values – amounts considered acceptable – for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, surface water and soil have fallen "dramatically" over the last 20 years "due to new insights into their toxicity."
Ian Cousins, lead author of the study and Stockholm University professor, called the decline "astounding."
In a press release, he said the drinking water guideline value for one chemical in particular — the cancer-causing perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA — has declined by 37.5 million times in the U.S.
"Based on the latest U.S. guidelines for PFOA in drinking water, rainwater everywhere would be judged unsafe to drink," Cousins said.
"Although in the industrial world we don't often drink rainwater, many people around the world expect it to be safe to drink and it supplies many of our drinking water sources."
The term PFAS is used to describe the thousands of human-made substances historically found in a number of items such as surfactants, lubricants, repellents, firefighting foam, textiles, cosmetics and food packaging, the Canadian government says.
Exposure to PFAS can occur through food, drinking water and house dust, and is associated with reproductive, developmental, endocrine, liver, kidney and immunological issues, as well as certain cancers.
Due to their ability to last in the environment for long periods, experts often describe PFAS as "forever chemicals."
Researchers say the global spread of PFAS in the atmosphere means they can be found in rainwater and snow even in remote areas, such as Antarctica and the Tibetan Plateau.
While manufacturer 3M has worked to phase out the substances for two decades, researchers say some harmful PFAS are not seeing any notable declines in the atmosphere.
"The extreme persistence and continual global cycling of certain PFAS will lead to the continued exceedance of the above-mentioned guidelines," said study co-author and professor Martin Scheringer in the release.
Scheringer says because of this, "it makes sense to define a planetary boundary specifically for PFAS and, as we conclude in the paper, this boundary has now been exceeded."
Jane Muncke, managing director of the Food Packaging Forum in Switzerland, who was not involved in the study, said in the press release companies should not be allowed to "benefit economically while polluting the drinking water for millions of others, and causing serious health problems."
"The vast amounts that it will cost to reduce PFAS in drinking water to levels that are safe based on current scientific understanding need to be paid by the industry producing and using these toxic chemicals," Muncke said. "The time to act is now."
With files from The Associated Press
The story has been updated to clarify that the drinking water guideline values, or amounts considered acceptable, for PFAS have declined.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.