BELGIUM IS THE MOST AFFECTED COUNTRY!
*British Berkefeld eliminates most of these pollutants.
A new map showing the extent of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (**PFAS or "eternal") substances in Europe has been released by the Forever Pollution project. The project is a collaboration between 18 European newsrooms in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom who have come together to investigate the damage caused by these chemicals to our environment.
The survey revealed that PFAS chemicals contaminate more than 17,000 sites across the continent. Another 22,000 sites are presumed to be contaminated due to past or current industrial activities.
PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that have been around since the 1940s. They have been used in a variety of consumer products such as non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging and anti-foam. -fire. Due to their unique properties, namely their heat resistance and hydrophobicity, they were also attractive for industrial uses.
PFAS can remain in the environment indefinitely because they do not degrade easily. They can accumulate in water sources and soil, where they can then enter the bodies of humans and animals through contact or ingestion.
Once inside the body, these chemicals can interfere with hormones and other essential bodily functions. Long-term exposure to even low levels of PFAS has been linked to serious health issues including cancer, infertility, birth defects, immune system disorders, thyroid problems, endocrine disruption, damage to liver, kidney damage, exacerbation of asthma, obesity and more.
Journalists aggregated data from multiple sources, some of which were not public, to locate known infections. To identify sites of suspected contamination, they adapted the methodology of a group of researchers who have done similar work to map contamination in the United States: the PFAS Project Lab (Boston) and the Community Sites and Resources Map of PFAS.
The project found 20 manufacturing facilities and more than 2,300 sites in Europe that are PFAS hotspots, places where contamination reaches levels considered hazardous to the health of those exposed.
The map shows that Belgium is the country with the highest pollution levels, where PFAS have been found in groundwater at concentrations of up to 73m ng/l in Zwijndrecht, Flanders.
Professor Crispin Halsall, an environmental chemist at Lancaster University, told the Guardian that high concentrations of PFAS.
**PFAS (or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are man-made chemicals that have been used since the 1940s in a variety of everyday consumer products, such as non-stick coatings, waterproof clothing, food packaging and foams extinguishers. They are also used in industry due to their heat resistance and waterproof property.
*British Berkefeld responds very well to the PFAS removal process with its ceramic filtration technology combined with activated carbon. The ceramic filtration helps retain solid particles, while the activated carbon has the ability to adsorb chemical contaminants such as PFAS from the water.
The ceramic filters used by British Berkefeld are made from natural clay, which makes them highly porous and allows them to effectively filter particles and bacteria from the water. Additionally, the combination of activated carbon and ceramic helps reduce not only PFAS, but also other contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
In addition, British Berkefeld performs rigorous testing to ensure the effectiveness of its filters. In July 2022 , tests were carried out on the elimination of PFAS , which showed very encouraging results, 95% of PFAS are eliminated. This demonstrates the company's commitment to providing top quality filtration products to provide safe, clean drinking water.
SEE THE TESTS HERE