American Waters

More worrying news that per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can now be found in the waters of every US state (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/22/forever-chemicals-pollute-water-dozens-of-sites-in-every-us-state). PFAS are the so-called 'forever chemicals', so-termed because of their resistance to heat, oil and water. They are consequently employed in a very wide range of products, from non-stick frying pans, to carpets, cosmetics, shoes and even food wrappers. Traces of these chemicals have been identified in tap water from Alaska to Florida. They presumably get there, when they are washed through the soil by rainwater and accumulate in the groundwater that supplys drinking water. PFAS have been linked to a variety of human disease conditions including cancers. The problem is, that they would be very slow to disappear, even if their use was totally banned.