What do polar bears in the Arctic have in common with plankton in the Pacific, cardinals in Atlanta, and crocodiles in South Africa? The answer, says The New York Times, is that they have all been contaminated with the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. That’s the conclusion of a new study into the spread of the chemicals, which are used in thousands of everyday products such as nonstick cookware and waterproof clothing, and which have been linked to cancers, developmental problems, and other health issues. To assess the prevalence in wildlife, researchers looked at more than 100 studies from around the world. They found that PFAS had been discovered in hundreds of species, including scorpions, pandas, turtles, horses, wild boar, otters, and oysters. “We were like, ‘Holy smokes, this…
