[…] A new joint report from the two NGOs has found that 37 active substances currently approved for use in pesticides are PFAS. That equates to 12 per cent of all approved synthetic substances. […]
[…] A new joint report from the two NGOs has found that 37 active substances currently approved for use in pesticides are PFAS. That equates to 12 per cent of all approved synthetic substances. […]
My sarcastic comment is Isn’t that implied in the designator “forever chemical”?
But my real response is: The article doesn’t say. And I’m all for a healthy dose of skepticism. Does forever really mean forever? Or do the people studying this just not actually know yet? I’m fairly ignorant on the actual research on this.
I’d love to read a study explains it. I’ve only read stories like this. They outline we have a problem, and the more articles I read on PFAS, they seem pretty unavoidable. I was reading one that basically said it’s in our rain as well, so even the paper straws you get at restaurants contain them.
“Forever” means longer than is practical for humans. Nuclear waste doesn’t emit lethal doses of gamma radiation forever but it might as well be as it is in the timescale of 100’000 years and longer, a timescale which doesn’t compare to a human scale. I mean we haven’t even had electricity for 1000 years, yet alone 100’000.
Another reason a clear number isn’t given is because we don’t know for sure. If a scientist says “we’re not sure best guess at least 500 years” then the newspapers will headline “PTFE STAYS IN BABIES BRAINS FOR 500 YEARS”. A headline people will remember. In 20 years someone finds out it doeen’t accumulate in the brain but in the liver and the kidneys, and that until death, so for 90 years, not 500. Newspapers will headline “PTFE NOT IN BRAIN BUT LIVER”. People will go “aha, science can’t be trusted!” and refuse to get vaccinated, deny climate change or similar stupid things.
That is why scientists have become very, very cautious in giving out simple numbers which can and will be quoted out of context and in a misleading way until they are very, very sure.
As a computer scientist, I totally understand the reluctance to publish certain information. I am admittedly not “smart” on biology or other science topics, which is why I’ll never claim to have an understanding.
And it’s why I take headlines with a grain of salt. Basically, until death is what I’d consider forever. And I’d imagine they’d be transferred to whatever decomposes us. Like how mercury is very prevalent in large fish. But that’s an assumption.