On this edition of Your Call’s One Planet Series, we discuss a recent study led by an Oxford University team of scientists that found alarming levels of PFAS compounds in Norwegian Arctic ice, threatening the entire food web and wildlife, including caribous, seals, plankton, and polar bears.
PFAS is a class of about 12,000 chemicals used to make hundreds of products that are resistant to stains, heat and water. The problem is, they don’t break down naturally in the environment. That is why they are called 'forever chemicals.'
Guest:
Dr. William Hartz, researcher at the University of Oxford
Web Resources:
The Guardian: Alarming levels of PFAS in Norwegian Arctic ice pose new risk to wildlife
Earth.com: Where does plastic debris in the Arctic come from?
Le Monde: The massive contamination of Europe by PFAS 'forever chemicals'
Reuters: EU considers ban on 'forever chemicals', urges search for alternatives
Environmental Working Group: Delays threaten Biden administration’s promise to tackle ‘forever chemicals’
Environmental Working Group: Groundbreaking map shows toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in more than 330 wildlife species
