Monday, August 25, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Chemistry

Ocean waves propel PFAS back to land

April 5, 2024
in Chemistry
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Royal Research Ship (RSS) Discovery
65
SHARES
595
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

A new study by researchers at the Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, published in Science Advances, reveals that PFAS re-emit into the air from crashing ocean waves at levels comparable to or greater than other sources, establishing a cyclical transport process for these “forever chemicals” between land and sea.

Royal Research Ship (RSS) Discovery

Credit: Bo Sha, Department of Enviromental Science, Stockholm University

A new study by researchers at the Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, published in Science Advances, reveals that PFAS re-emit into the air from crashing ocean waves at levels comparable to or greater than other sources, establishing a cyclical transport process for these “forever chemicals” between land and sea.

“The common belief is that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, drain from the land into the oceans where they stay to be diluted into the deep oceans over the timescale of decades,” said Ian Cousins, Professor at the Department of Environmental Science and co-author of the study. “But we’ve now demonstrated in multiple studies that there’s a boomerang effect, and some of the toxic PFAS are re-emitted to air, transported long distances and then deposited back onto land.”

Field experiments across the Atlantic Ocean conducted by co-authors Bo Sha, Post-doc at the Department of Environmental Science and Jana Johansson, former Researcher at the Department of Environmental Science, currently at Linköping University, showed PFAS concentrations in air particles surpassing seawater concentrations by over 100,000 times. Subsequent global modeling estimated the re-emission, atmospheric transport, and deposition of PFAS to land.

“Jana (Johansson) and I worked intensively for two months on a ship conducting multiple field experiments with our custom-built sea spray simulator,” explained Bo Sha, the main author of the study. “While our results are scientifically impactful, they are disconcerting, creating a lot of interest among scientists, regulators, and the public.”

PFAS impacting health in coastal regions

PFAS, characterized by their extreme persistence leading to their colloquial designation as “forever chemicals, ”are associated with a variety of serious health conditions, including cancer, fertility issues, and compromised immune system function.

“In Denmark, scientists have compiled compelling evidence indicating that the sea serves as the primary source of PFAS along their west coast,” explained Matthew Salter, Researcher at the Department of Environmental Science and co-author of the study. “This aligns with our expectations, as our study predicts that coastal regions bear the greatest impact.”

The research was funded by the Swedish Research Council, FORMAS, the INTEGRATE project, and was part of the Atlantic Meridional Transect programme funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council.



Journal

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adl1026

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Constraining global transport of perfluoroalkyl acids on sea spray aerosol using field measurements

Article Publication Date

5-Apr-2024

Share26Tweet16
Previous Post

Ocean waves propel PFAS back to land

Next Post

Endometrial, lung, and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2024

Related Posts

blank
Chemistry

Durable and Flexible Porous Crystals Showcase Exceptional Gas Sorption Capabilities

August 25, 2025
blank
Chemistry

Rice’s Martí, Sarlah, and Wang Receive National American Chemical Society Honors

August 25, 2025
blank
Chemistry

Molecular Compound Enables Photoinduced Double Charge Accumulation

August 25, 2025
blank
Chemistry

Astronomers Chart Stellar ‘Polka Dots’ with NASA’s TESS and Kepler Missions

August 25, 2025
blank
Chemistry

Sure! Here’s a rewritten version of the headline: “Lignin Discovered in Latitude Region, Scientists Reveal” If you want it more specific or adjusted in tone, just let me know!

August 25, 2025
blank
Chemistry

Innovative Technique Unveiled for Probing Atomic Internal Structures

August 25, 2025
Next Post
Dana-Farber presents at AACR 2024

Endometrial, lung, and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2024

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27538 shares
    Share 11012 Tweet 6883
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    952 shares
    Share 381 Tweet 238
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    641 shares
    Share 256 Tweet 160
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    508 shares
    Share 203 Tweet 127
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    312 shares
    Share 125 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Enhancing PAX Good Behavior Game in Schools
  • Intergenerational Bonds Boost Korean Youth’s Life Satisfaction
  • Link Between Hypothyroidism and Fatty Liver Disease Explored
  • Fenofibrate’s Effects on Diabetic Retinopathy Explored

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,859 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading