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. 

What's happening?

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 Phys.org. 

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. 

Why is this concerning?

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 Phys.org. 

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. 

What can be done about this?

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 Phys.org. 

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. 

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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. 

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