American scientists from Florida State University found that many municipal landfills release significant amounts of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) into the environment. The research was published in the scientific journal magazine Environmental Science and Technology Letters (ESTL).
PFAS are a group of 16,000 chemical compounds used to make nonstick cookware, waterproof materials and other products. PFAS almost never break down in the environment, which is why they’re called “forever chemicals.”
As recent studies have shown, substances from this group accumulate in the body and cause various diseases, including cancer, diseases of the endocrine and reproductive systems of the body and other serious diagnoses.
In a new study, the team found that waste containing PFAS can pollute the air by emitting an elusive gas. These emissions consist mostly of methane and carbon dioxide. Scientists found a type of PFAS called fluorotelomer alcohol in the mixture. They are toxic when inhaled and can be transported long distances.
Experts made their discovery by pumping landfill gas through special filters. Subsequent analysis showed that levels of fluorotelomer alcohol in some samples were twice as high as in previous studies at other landfills.
Because landfills are repositories of PFAS, this finding suggests that gaseous emissions from these sites should be considered in future mitigation and management strategies to reduce potential inhalation exposure and environmental releases.
Previous scientists I learnedMany PFASs easily penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream.
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Source: Gazeta
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