PFAS are already everywhere, even in the Amazon jungle

In one of the most pristine corners of the globe, deep in the Amazon, scientists have discovered significant concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the air. These perennial chemicals have made their way into the heart of the jungle from an industrial center more than 100 kilometers away. This discovery, in a place that is the largest reserve of biological diversity in the world, has caused alarm among researchers. They stress that if PFAS have reached the heart of the rainforest, the situation in less isolated areas could be much worse.

What are perpetual chemicals?

PFAS ( per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds containing extremely strong carbon-fluorine bonds. They take the form of gases, liquids and solid polymers with very different structures, and the scale of their use is enormous. This is because PFAS have unique properties of surfactants, stable at very high temperatures. They are used, among others. They are used, among others, in the space, aerospace and automotive industries, but also as household plastics such as cooking utensils, food packaging and stain-resistant carpets. They are also part of fire extinguishing agents used by fire departments.

The name eternal chemicals refers to the aforementioned carbon and fluorine bonds, considered the most difficult to break in all organic chemistry. As a result, PFAS molecules do not degrade easily and remain in the environment for many years.

PFAS in Amazon

The journal Science of The Total Environment has published the surprising results of a study conducted by an international team of scientists led by Ivan Kourtchev of the UK’s Coventry University. It shows that even in the middle of the Amazon jungle, at the Amazon High Tower Observatory located 150 km from the nearest city, PFAS particles are found in the atmosphere.

The discovery is a breakthrough, as the perennial chemicals were previously thought to move primarily in polluted waters, with their presence mainly affecting coastal regions. Broken down to aerosol form, PFAS were thought to concentrate in the air along marine coasts. The High Tower of the Amazon, which is the tallest structure in South America today, strictly for research purposes, meanwhile, is more than a thousand kilometers away from the sea.

The concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the atmosphere around the Amazon observatory was up to 2 ^pg/m3 and was highest in the upper layers of air carried from the south, on the side of the city of Manaus, which has 2 million citizens. It is Brazil’s seventh largest metropolis and is home to refining and chemical industries. From the observations made by Kourtchev’s team, it is clear that the transport of PFAS in the air takes place over surprisingly very long distances.

Scientists thus highlight the need for an in-depth study of the distribution mechanisms of the perennial chemical in the air. PFOA acid, meanwhile, has strong bioaccumulative properties and could seriously harm the fragile Amazon ecosystem.

The end of virgin areas on Earth

The discovery of perpetual chemicals in the Amazon jungle is further evidence that our planet has fully succumbed to human pressure. Back in 2018. Brazilian scientists suggested that the Amazon is a domesticated forest in which we govern ourselves, removing undesirable species and protecting beneficial ones. Over the past 12,000. years we have influenced the shape of 95 percent. temperate zone forests and 90 percent. of all tropical forests. Untouched, unspoiled or wild are becoming empty words from tourist brochures, as humans have more or less learned to exploit all of Earth’s ecosystems.

Unfortunately, in the case of PFAS, another human stigma imprinted on the environment, the consequences can be dramatic and far-reaching. Indeed, there is no longer any doubt that perennial chemicals affect the immune and thyroid systems, increase the risk of liver and kidney disease, as well as lipid and insulin disorders. Scientists also link them to fertility disorders and the development of cancer.

Meanwhile, PFAS have been discovered in drinking water from water supplies and private wells, soil and water around landfills, fish and dairy products, and packaging of commonly consumed food products. And there are more and more of them! According to a study published in 2023. in the journal Clean Water, the content of PFOA and PFOS (endosulfan sulfate), the two most common perennial chemicals, in drinking water increased by 18.8 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively, in just one year. These numbers can no longer be ignored.