Rainwater everywhere is unsafe to drink

Safe guideline levels for some of these forever chemicals have dropped dramatically over the last two decades due to new insights into their toxicity.

“There has been an astounding decline in guideline values for PFAS in drinking water in the last 20 years,” says Ian Cousins, lead author of the study and professor at the Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University.

For one well-known substance, the “cancer-causing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)”, water guideline values have declined by 37.5 million times in the US.

What risk do ‘forever chemicals’ pose to our health?

The health risks of being exposed to these substances have been researched widely. Scientists say that they could be linked to fertility problems, increased risk of cancer and developmental delays in children. 

But others say that no cause and effect can be proven between these chemicals and poor health.

Safe guideline levels for some of these forever chemicals have dropped dramatically over the last two decades due to new insights into their toxicity. pic.twitter.com/3uhdgU7jxG

— Euronews Green (@euronewsgreen) August 9, 2022

"Although in the industrial world we don’t often drink rainwater, many people around the world expect it to be safe to drink and it supplies many of our drinking water sources,” lead author Ian Cousins said.

👉https://t.co/SQaPJaSvpS pic.twitter.com/STdByaUQvd

— Euronews Green (@euronewsgreen) August 9, 2022