How 'forever chemicals' have come to contaminate even the most remote parts of Canada
Originally published on October 24, 2020.
In the second part of our series on the risks of PFAS "forever chemicals," we look at how these durable, ubiquitous and often subtly toxic substances have spread over most of Canada and the globe.
A range of PFAS chemicals have been found at high levels in some hotspots in southern Canada. But they've also migrated throughout our environment into natural landscapes, the Great Lakes and perhaps most worryingly — they're being found at concerning levels in people in Canada's North.
In part two of this series we hear from:
- Shane De Solla, wildlife toxicologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Amila de Silva, an environmental chemist at Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Lucy Grey, research advisor for the Kativik Regional Government in Nunavik
- Mélanie Lemire, an environmental epidemiologist at Laval University
In part one of the series, we introduced you to the potential health effects associated with PFAS chemicals.
In part three, we'll bring you the final instalment of this series when we look at how we figure out our drinking water guidelines and the regulations that scientists say need to change.
Produced by Sonya Buyting. Written by Jim Lebans.