Research into release of ‘forever chemicals’ raises concerns about contamination and human exposure along world’s coastlines

Research into release of ‘forever chemicals’ raises concerns about contamination and human exposure along world’s coastlines

Ocean waves crashing on the world’s shores emit more PFAS into the air than the world’s industrial polluters, new research has found, raising concerns about environmental contamination and human exposure along coastlines.

The study measured levels of PFAS released from the bubbles that burst when waves crash, spraying aerosols into the air. It found sea spray levels were hundreds of thousands times higher than levels in the water.

The contaminated spray likely affects groundwater, surface water, vegetation, and agricultural products near coastlines that are far from industrial sources of PFAS, said Ian Cousins, a Stockholm University researcher and the study’s lead author.

“There is evidence that the ocean can be an important source [of PFAS air emissions],” Cousins said. “It is definitely impacting the coastline.”

  • AdamEatsAss@lemmy.worldEnglish
    962·
    7 months ago

    Extremely misleading title. Sea water alone cannot emmit PFAS. The ocean is already contaminated with PFAS, put their by corporations, and the spray from crashing waves helps spread the contamination .

    • treefrog@lemm.eeEnglish
      30·
      7 months ago

      Not just the title. The slant is evident in the opening paragraph too.

      Ocean waves crashing on the world’s shores emit more PFAS into the air than the world’s industrial polluters

      Compare to the study title and opening sentences.

      Constraining global transport of perfluoroalkyl acids on sea spray aerosol using field measurements

      Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are highly persistent anthropogenic pollutants that have been detected in the global oceans. Our previous laboratory studies demonstrated that PFAAs in seawater are remobilized to the air in sea spray aerosols (SSAs).

    • SeaJ@lemm.eeEnglish
      16·
      7 months ago

      That was my first thought. The fucking spray is not creating the chemicals. We created them and they ended up in the ocean.

      It’s weird because it seems like the author primarily reports on PFAS so you would think he’d know better.

    • Sentrovasi@kbin.social
      61·
      7 months ago

      I didn’t think it was misleading, but when I read it I automatically thought the article was talking about the extent of pollution in the ocean, not what everyone else seems to be interpreting it as…