PFAS Chemicals Threaten Everything

Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) are chemicals used to make coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water and they are killing everything, including humans.

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According to a study published last week, researchers at Columbia and Rutgers Universities have determined that the average liter (roughly 34 ounces) of bottled water has nearly a quarter of a million invisible pieces of nanoplastics. Most simply put: Nanoplastics are minute particles (particles that are less than 1/83rd the size of a human hair) that originate from the breakdown of larger plastic waste. They are now omnipresent in all of our surroundings, including our food and water.

Looking at five samples of three common bottled water brands, these researchers found particle levels that ranged from 110,000 to 400,000 per liter, which averages around 240,000 particles per liter. While the scientists involved would not reveal the brands without further study, they have confirmed that the water came from common brands and the bottles were purchased at Wal-Mart.

Lead author Naixin Qian, a Columbia University physical chemist, also confirmed that much of the plastic is likely coming from the bottle itself and the reverse osmosis membrane filter used to keep out other contaminants. Whether or not these specific nano plastics found in the water are harmful to our health is a question that still needs a formal, scientific answer, but we know from previous study that in general, nanoplastics infiltrate human physiology and do not easily break down over time, and they create a series of nuanced health impacts. The synthetic chemicals are also the basic constituents used in making plastic such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), and heavy metals.

In the last 50 years, the decline of North America’s bird population has reached a staggering 3 billion breeding adults, or nearly 30 percent of the population. The main culprit: human-made causes like habitat loss stemming from the spread of towns, cities and ranches, pesticides and glass windows. Climate change also contributes to the threat by shrinking the number of birds in existence.

A North American Baltimore Oriole at a feeder in Minnesota. (Photo by Bernard Friel/via Getty Images)