Research into release of ‘forever chemicals’ raises concerns about contamination and human exposure along world’s coastlines
Ocean waves crashing on the world’s shores emit more PFAS into the air than the world’s industrial polluters, new research has found, raising concerns about environmental contamination and human exposure along coastlines.
The study measured levels of PFAS released from the bubbles that burst when waves crash, spraying aerosols into the air. It found sea spray levels were hundreds of thousands times higher than levels in the water.
The contaminated spray likely affects groundwater, surface water, vegetation, and agricultural products near coastlines that are far from industrial sources of PFAS, said Ian Cousins, a Stockholm University researcher and the study’s lead author.
“There is evidence that the ocean can be an important source [of PFAS air emissions],” Cousins said. “It is definitely impacting the coastline.”
I may read that, some day,
but it’s a blunt fact that PFAS cannot be produced/manufactured by spraying ocean-water into the air.
Those chemicals are coming from our industry, they are not coming from the ocean.
Aerosoling them by the ocean is only possible if they’re being manufactured, then being put into the ocean, who can then aerosol them.
“Emitting” means producing, in most people’s minds: emitting means they weren’t present, before being emitted.
The kind of reckless incompetence of the headline this was given, is what boosts/empowers climate-denialism.
Propaganda isn’t journalism, no matter how many clicks it gains.
bitterness
I can’t find a better way to describe it.
A lot of factories don’t emit chemicals into the air.
If you stood next to a factory there’s a high chance you won’t be exposed to anything nasty. Or, a lot less than the ocean spray apparently.