Back in the early and mid-18th century, scientists and researchers used to isolate chemicals that already existed in the world. This was a period of great discovery as chemicals like oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen became widely known.
The succeeding century was all about inventing new chemicals in a laboratory. In 1944, three scientists synthesized what came to be known as the first-ever artificial chemical called curium. According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, this radioactive element was used to deliver power to electrical equipment in space shuttles.
Gradually, more complex synthetic chemical compounds were produced after tight bonds between different chemical elements. By 2022, the Earth was filled with over 350,000 such chemicals! To call this world toxic at this point would be an understatement. In this article, we will discuss the current toxicity of the Earth we dearly like to call our home.
Earth Categorized as a ‘Toxic Planet’
Let’s consider an article from 2022 that states that humankind has crossed the Earth’s threshold for chemical pollution. Though thousands of chemicals are already circulating the ecological system of this world, hundreds more are produced each year.
It appears that man has turned into a preschooler who enjoys experimenting with things unknown to them. Doing so in a sandbox is not that big of a problem. However, manufacturing new chemical compounds without determining a proper way to get rid of them naturally is a disaster in the making.
A host of these synthetic chemicals has been evaluated in the past decades. In most cases, the finding only proved the threat a chemical posed to the environment, wildlife, and human health. You must wonder why production was not stopped immediately after.
This is mainly because many of these chemicals were utilized for industrial purposes. In short, the producers wanted to milk profits out of unsuspecting people, sometimes, even the government.
What’s even worse is the fact that thousands of chemicals have still not been evaluated completely. This means we might be exposed to them but would never know the extent of the repercussions.
Could this be a reason why modern society is so sick, especially with newfound life-threatening health conditions? Yes, there is no reason to rule out this possibility.
The Most Alarming Chemicals to Consider
Discussing even 100 of the synthetic chemicals, let alone 350,000, is beyond the scope of this article. After all, thousands of them remain a mystery to modern scientists too. We will focus on two from the lot that are not only toxic but also ubiquitous.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals (PFAS)
Forming a cluster of over 12,000 chemicals, PFAS was produced for the first time in the 1930s. It took two more decades for them to be used in industrial and consumer goods applications. These included capacitors, non-stick cookware, dental floss, and Class B firefighting foam, among others.
The primary manufacturer of these chemicals was the American multinational giant, 3M. Were PFAS effective in their applications? Yes, in fact, they formed the backbone of the firefighting industry for decades. Towards the early years of the 21st century, studies regarding PFAS toxicity were released.
Even today, only two from the group have been widely studied – perfluoroctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA was found to be a human carcinogen. In line with this discovery, firefighters reported developing life-threatening health issues.
As per TorHoerman Law, cases of testicle, kidney, and bladder cancer were the most common among these professionals. They rightfully sued PFAS manufacturers in 2017. Since water contamination cases were also discovered, municipalities joined the litigation.
The latest AFFF lawsuit update is that water contamination cases have been settled and lawyers are preparing for personal injury case trials. PFAS are also referred to as the ‘forever chemicals’ because they are almost eternal. In other words, scientists still haven’t found a foolproof way to get rid of them.
Today, they have permeated all parts of the world, including rainwater. Water samples in England revealed that PFAS levels exceeded the safety standards provided by the European Union. At this very hour, every individual alive may have some traces of these chemicals in their body.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
This is also a group of synthetic chemicals that is highly stable. They date back to the 1880s as far as synthesis is concerned. The first-ever commercial production took place in 1929 in capacitors, lubricants, plasticizers, etc.
It did not take long to unfold the layers of toxicity these chemicals hid through the years. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed some common side effects of being exposed to these chemicals. They could range from mild skin irritation to full-blown cancer.
In light of how dangerous PCBs were, they had to be banned. The US stopped their production in 1979 and the UK followed in 1981. However, it’s difficult to feel relieved that PCBs are no longer being produced. They are still able to pollute the environment through buildings erected between the 1930s and 1970s.
A PCB lawsuit is also active in the US Federal courts, filed by schools where PCBs were used in electrical equipment and building materials. It’s challenging to completely avoid being exposed to them.
Today, even if man were to stop producing any more synthetic chemicals, the damage has been done (and to what extent!). For occupational purposes, one can wear safety glasses, gloves, and a mask but can the same be done practically anywhere?
People may be able to avoid some toxicity by saying no to non-stick cookware, using non-toxic laundry detergents, and going ‘BPA-free.’ However, the current situation calls for a complete makeover of the Earth, which seems unlikely to happen anytime in the near future.
