President Biden has prioritized "Forever Chemicals" be removed from American cities and towns because of the danger they hold to Americans. The "Environmental Justice" movement is being well served by his vigilance.
These Forever Chemicals entered the air through methods of manufacturing and disposal of them in the way of dumping and/or incineration. Those chemicals in the air were distributed with snowfall that recharges glaciers and ice fields. Now that Antarctica is melting in large amounts the Forever Chemicals that were literally stored in the ice are now becoming part of the Southern Ocean as water runs off Antarctica.
The oceans are in terrible condition and this is still another reason as to why. These chemicals will enter the food chain for humans through ingestion by fish that is then harvested. There must be a testing regime for all fish harvested from the oceans to ensure a safe food supply to people living on land.
Food safety should be a concern for all countries and their people. Some of the youngest members of our societies will be affected the most if they eat fish sticks or any part of the fish in their diet. We cannot in good conscience simply say, "Oh, well, that's too bad." This is an important discovery and it should not be taken lightly by any country. This should be an additional issue at the upcoming global meeting regarding the climate in November 2021.
By Lancaster University
Known as 'forever' chemicals due (click here) to the fact they do not break down in the environment, poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in a wide range of products and processes from fire proofing to stain resistant surfaces.
The Lancaster University study has found them in the surface seawater close to melting Arctic ice floes at concentrations of up to two times higher than levels observed in the North Sea, even though the region of the Barents Sea under investigation was thousands of kilometers from populated parts of Europe....
...PFAAs can enter the food chain due to their mobility in the environment and protein-binding characteristics. The longer carbon chain compounds of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are generally associated with liver damage in mammals, with developmental exposure to PFOA adversely affecting fetal growth in humans and other mammals alike.
Dr. Jack Garnett discovered an unusual phenomenon whereby PFAAs present in the atmosphere are deposited with snowfall onto the surface of ice floes where they can eventually accumulate within the sea ice. Jack made this observation while taking ice and water samples as part of a scientific expedition under the Norwegian Nansen Legacy project.
...PFAAs can enter the food chain due to their mobility in the environment and protein-binding characteristics. The longer carbon chain compounds of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are generally associated with liver damage in mammals, with developmental exposure to PFOA adversely affecting fetal growth in humans and other mammals alike.
Dr. Jack Garnett discovered an unusual phenomenon whereby PFAAs present in the atmosphere are deposited with snowfall onto the surface of ice floes where they can eventually accumulate within the sea ice. Jack made this observation while taking ice and water samples as part of a scientific expedition under the Norwegian Nansen Legacy project.
