Potentially toxic “forever chemicals” have been detected in the drinking water sources at 17 of 18 England’s water companies, with 11,853 samples testing positive, something experts say they are “extremely alarmed” by.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – a group of 10,000 or so human-made chemicals widely used in industrial processes, firefighting foams and consumer products – were found in samples of raw and treated water tested by water companies last year, according to the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), the Guardian and Watershed Investigations has found.

  • Th4tGuyII@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    I’m surprised that literally anybody is surprised by the headline that a chemical that is incredibly stable and long-lived (the very reason for using them), and widely used in many different industries and even in home products has ended up everywhere.
    With enough time to spread about, this was always going to be the case.

  • snacks@feddit.uk
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    11 months ago

    invented by Teflon as a water proofing coating for ww2 tanks, PFAS was repackaged and sold as kitchen utensil coating since the 1950s and featured in the 2019 film Dark Water. Teflon knew about its carcinogenic nature as its own employees died or had deformed children. The chemical is present in every human on the planet and its passed through reproductive systems.

    cheerful stuff

    • Akuchimoya@startrek.website
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      11 months ago

      If you donate blood, you also remove the PFAS in that blood from your body too. Donating blood is an altruistic act (at least in Canada, you cannot be paid for it), but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a little side benefit. Blood letting is sometimes still a legitimate therapy for specific things.

      • snacks@feddit.uk
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        11 months ago

        something wrong with the logic. Donating blood might remove it from you but its going in somone else?

        im also not convinced donating blood removes anything if its in your pancreas.

        • penguin_knight@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          blood you donate doesnt always go into someone else. I don’t know the stats for what fraction gets transplanted, but researchers also use blood for different reasons.

          • snacks@feddit.uk
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            11 months ago

            but there is no uncontaminated blood, its in everyone. Im just saying dont kid yourself