Forever chemicals can actually be reemitted into the atmosphere by ocean waves, a new study has found.
The findings from researchers at the Department of Environmental Science at Stockholm University in Sweden, published in Science Advances, debunked the belief that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which are also known as forever chemicals, drain into the oceans where they dilute and become less potent.
Researchers found that the chemicals pas back into the air when large ocean waves crash. And the reemitted levels are greater than other sources.
This creates a "cyclical transport process" for the chemicals "between land and sea," the study reported.
"We've now demonstrated in multiple studies that there's a boomerang effect, and some of the toxic PFAS are reemitted to air, transported long distances and then deposited back onto land," Ian Cousins, a professor at the Department of Environmental Science and co-author of the study said in a statement.
To reach their findings researchers initiated field experiments across the Atlantic Ocean. They found PFAS concentrations in the atmosphere were over 100,000 times that of sea water concentrations.
"[Co-author] Jana [Johansson] and I worked intensively for two months on a ship conducting multiple field experiments with our custom-built sea spray simulator," Bo Sha, the main author of the study said in a statement. "While our results are scientifically impactful, they are disconcerting, creating a lot of interest among scientists, regulators, and the public."
PFAS refer to a large family of more than 10,000 chemicals that do not occur naturally. They are generated from various human sources and can be found in certain foods, packaging and many other materials.
They are mainly found in water and the earth. Until now, it was thought that forever chemicals found in the air from evaporated water were not that strong.
They are named as such because they are highly persistent and can last in the environment for thousands of years. Whether we will ever be able to eradicate them from our environment is a question that scientists have not yet been able to answer.
The main issue with these chemicals is the health risks they pose. They have been linked to very serious conditions such as cancer, fertility issues as well as immune system complications.
This means that any research into how they get into the environment, and how they remain there, is useful to scientists.
"In Denmark, scientists have compiled compelling evidence indicating that the sea serves as the primary source of PFAS along their west coast," Matthew Salter, a researcher at the Department of Environmental Science and co-author of the study said in a statement. "This aligns with our expectations, as our study predicts that coastal regions bear the greatest impact."
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