Latest news with #ChristianSonne
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists sound alarm over silent threat lurking in region's food supply: '[It's] really a hotspot of human contamination'
The health of residents in a remote part of eastern Greenland may be in jeopardy as toxic chemicals from everyday household items are brought to the region by sea and air currents. A new study published in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability found that the Ittoqqortoormiit hunting and fishing community had "forever chemicals" in their blood 13 times higher than the risk threshold, per Study author Christian Sonne, from Denmark's Aarhus University, explained that this area of eastern Greenland has some of the highest levels of forever chemicals in the world, as the planet's currents carry the toxic substances across long distances, where they ultimately contaminate the air and water and end up in the bodies of animals. "East Greenland is really a hotspot of human contamination because you can both eat polar bears, which you don't hunt in Russia or Svalbard, and ringed seals that accumulate PFAS and other harmful substances," Sonne told Agence France-Presse, according to the report. Also referred to as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, forever chemicals earned their often-used nickname because they don't readily break down. As it stands, the forever chemicals that contaminated eastern Greenland will be around for some time. "These substances are so persistent in the environment and in the body that the concentrations will still be very high over the next 75 to 100 years," Sonne told the AFP, per In fact, they can linger for thousands of years and accumulate in our bodies. Unfortunately, these chemicals are more common than some might realize, as they are found in common household items such as nonstick cookware, food packaging, and makeup. Exposure to PFAS is linked to severe health complications, including thyroid, liver, and kidney disease, cancer, higher cholesterol, reduced immune response, and reproductive difficulties. Sonne suggested the Inuit community in eastern Greenland should diversify its diet to lower exposure to PFAS and advocated for stricter regulations involving the toxic compounds, as reported by For its part, the U.S. has outlawed polychlorinated biphenyls (a type of forever chemical) since 1979. And last year, the Food and Drug Administration banned grease-proofing PFAS in food packaging. Many states have also outlawed or restricted PFAS use in children's products, plastics, personal care products, firefighting foam, and more. Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly Sometimes Not really I don't know enough about them Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. If you want to limit your exposure to PFAS and support a cleaner future for communities disproportionately endangered by the accumulation of these chemicals, supporting PFAS-free products is among the most impactful things you can do. You can also contact your representatives to advocate for policies that prioritize public health. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Diet puts Greenland Inuit at risk from 'forever chemicals': study
Scientists warned on Thursday that the long-term health of Inuit hunters in eastern Greenland was under threat, due to so-called "forever chemicals" in the atmosphere and their diet of polar bear and seal meat. Christian Sonne, from Denmark's Aarhus University, said the Ittoqqortoormiit fishing and hunting community had levels of the chemicals -- also known as PFAS -- in their blood 13 times higher than the risk threshold. The remote zone is particularly affected by the contamination because the chemicals are carried there by nearby sea and air currents, said Sonne, author of a study of the issue published in the journal Cell. "East Greenland is really a hotspot of human contamination because you can both eat polar bears, which you don't hunt in Russia or Svalbard, and ringed seals that accumulate PFAS and other harmful substances," he told AFP. "These substances are so persistent in the environment and in the body that the concentrations will still be very high over the next 75 to 100 years." The area, home to just 300 people, has the highest PFAS levels in the world, excluding those affecting firefighters, factory workers and that linked to groundwater contamination in Sweden and Italy, said Sonne. He attributed that to the long-range transfer of the chemicals in the air and water, which end up in the bodies of animals, particularly those that are then eaten. To lower their levels, he advised the Inuit community to diversify what they eat. He also called for tighter regulations to force industry to manufacture fewer toxic compounds that are less likely to be spread widely. - High mercury, PCB levels - PFAS are synthetic chemicals first developed in the 1940s to withstand intense heat and repel water and grease. They have since been used in a vast range of household and industrial products, including food packaging, make-up, stain-proof fabrics, non-stick cookware and flame retardants. Studies have suggested that exposure to PFAS chemicals is associated with increased rates of cancer, obesity, thyroid, liver and kidney disease, higher cholesterol, low birthweight and even weaker response to vaccines. Polychlorinated biphenyls -- banned by the United States in 1979 -- are industrial chemicals, which affect immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems, and are likely to cause cancer. They also bind to sediment, threatening fish and wildlife. Depending on ocean currents and winds, the situation varies across the Arctic territories. Sonne said Inuit hunters also had very high levels of mercury and probably the highest levels of toxic man-made PCB chemicals in the world. cbw/phz/jj/rlp
