So that not everyone needs to click all the way through:
"Toxic legacy of forever chemicals lingers in Australian tap water
Changes to US tap water standards have called into question Australia’s aqua resources as historical test data shows contaminant levels way above what is allowed stateside.
Analysis by The Sydney Morning Herald shows particular chemicals have been found in the drinking water of up to 1.8 million Australians since 2010, including in Canberra, Queensland, parts of Sydney, Newcastle and Victoria.
Those particular chemicals are “forever chemical” pollutants; perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which have been linked to cancers in young people and firefighters. (What? They left out 'puppies'?)
The chemicals became ubiquitous since development in the 1940s, making jackets waterproof, carpets stain-resistant, frying pans non-stick and were used in firefighting foam.
In 2023, manufacturing multinational 3M reached a $10.3bn settlement with US public water bodies in the face of more than 4000 lawsuits filed against 3M and other chemical companies.
They are forever chemicals because in effect they do not break down and accumulate in the human body.
The World Health Organisation deems PFOA as carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic to humans and connected the forever chemicals to increased cholesterol, immune system suppression, hormone interference and developmental issues in children.
Who drinks tap water anymore? I never drink the stuff.
So that not everyone needs to click all the way through:
"Toxic legacy of forever chemicals lingers in Australian tap water
Changes to US tap water standards have called into question Australia’s aqua resources as historical test data shows contaminant levels way above what is allowed stateside.
Analysis by The Sydney Morning Herald shows particular chemicals have been found in the drinking water of up to 1.8 million Australians since 2010, including in Canberra, Queensland, parts of Sydney, Newcastle and Victoria.
Those particular chemicals are “forever chemical” pollutants; perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which have been linked to cancers in young people and firefighters. (What? They left out 'puppies'?)
The chemicals became ubiquitous since development in the 1940s, making jackets waterproof, carpets stain-resistant, frying pans non-stick and were used in firefighting foam.
In 2023, manufacturing multinational 3M reached a $10.3bn settlement with US public water bodies in the face of more than 4000 lawsuits filed against 3M and other chemical companies.
They are forever chemicals because in effect they do not break down and accumulate in the human body.
The World Health Organisation deems PFOA as carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic to humans and connected the forever chemicals to increased cholesterol, immune system suppression, hormone interference and developmental issues in children.