Even rain water is not safe to drink

If you had doubts about how human kind is systematically destroying our planet – and threatening our own lives – then our report yesterday about rainwater being contaminated with toxins should be your wake-up call.

A new study shows that nowhere on the planet is it safe to drink rainwater because it contains high levels of chemicals known as PFAS (per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances), referred to as “forever chemicals” because they disintegrate extremely slowly.

These chemicals were initially found in packaging, shampoo or make-up but have spread to our entire environment, including water and air.

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Researchers have found that even in the normally “pristine” Antarctica or the Tibetan plateau, the levels in the rainwater are above the drinking water guidelines that the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed.

Once ingested, PFAS accumulate in the body.

According to studies, exposure can also lead to problems with fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risks of obesity or certain cancers (prostate, kidney and testicular), and an increase in cholesterol levels.

Ian Cousins, a professor at Stockholm University and the lead author of the study, said levels of the chemicals in people have been declining and we will “just have to live with it”.

That’s the good news, we suppose…

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