Friday, 28 May 2021

Forever Yours?

Per and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) are the 9000 or so 'forever chemicals'. PFASs are much used in many household goods and packaging, to make materials water and stain resistant. They are termed 'forever chemicals' because they don't naturally breakdown. PFASs are problematic, as they have been linked to an array of human health problems, including cancers and reduced sperm count. We now have another problem, Houston. Very high levels of PFASs have been found in the home fertiliser sold in many US stores (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/28/home-fertilizer-toxic-pfas-forever-chemicals-sewage-sludge). The home fertiliser, described as 'biosolids', is effectively modified sewage sludge from wastewater treatments across the USA. The PFASs are presumably discharged into wastewater treatments with human waste. Growing vegetables in biosolids seems a very effective way of increasing PFASs in the consumer's body. Recycling the forevers?
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