Paris. Hundreds of species of wild animals, from pandas to tigers to sea lions, are suffering from the spread of chemicals known as PFA around the world, according to a study compiling global data.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used ingredients in many industries. They have extensive applications for their resistance to heat and humidity, for example, to coat pans (Teflon).
They began to be used in the 1940s, and almost 90 years later they are known to be almost indestructible in the environment.
More than 330 animal species are unwitting victims of this spread of AFPs.
More than 125 recent studies have detected the presence of these particles around the world.
“In any country or continent these dangerous chemical products appear, as soon as the animals are subjected to tests” for detection, explained this analysis by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which has a specific section dedicated to the study of PFAs.
At the European level, another group of experts, the “Eternal Contamination Project”, has also detected up to 17,000 sites contaminated with PFA, according to a study released this Thursday.
According to this group, Europe is much more contaminated by PFA than previously believed. It will cost tens of billions of euros to get rid of these substances.
“They do not break down in the environment and can be found in water, air, and humans,” the experts explained.
This group’s map shows 20 PFA producers in Europe and 232 industrial sites where those chemicals are used to make waterproof plastics, pesticides and textiles.
PFAs can cause cancer and infertility.
In “more than 2,100 critical places” the concentration of PFA detected exceeds 100 nanograms per liter of water, which represents a danger to human health.
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