{"id":3682,"date":"2022-02-10T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=3682"},"modified":"2022-01-28T03:54:54","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T03:54:54","slug":"scientists-say-we-may-have-gone-past-earths-safe-boundary-for-chemical-pollutants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/scientists-say-we-may-have-gone-past-earths-safe-boundary-for-chemical-pollutants\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Say We May Have Gone Past Earth\u2019s \u201cSafe Boundary\u201d For Chemical Pollutants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

According to the World Health Organization<\/a>, some 4.2 million individuals die every year due to exposure to some form of air pollution. While yes, certain considerations must have been made before arriving at this number, it nevertheless doesn\u2019t take away from the urgency of the situation when it comes to curbing our collective waste output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data from a recent study from the Stockholm Research Centre (SRC), published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology<\/em><\/a>, certainly don\u2019t help alleviate any fears, as it appears that we may have already passed the so-called \u201csafe planetary boundary\u201d for environmental pollutants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A study from the Stockholm Research Centre revealed that we may have just passed the \u201csafe boundary\u201d for pollution\u2014meaning we may have gone past the maximum number of pollutants allowable for a \u201csafe operating space for humanity.\u201d (Giret, 2019)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Said co-author Patricia Villarubia-G\u00f3mez, from the SRC: \u201cThere has been a 50-fold increase in the production of chemicals since 1950. This is projected to triple again by 2050.\u201d This metric encompasses a number of chemicals produced around the world every day, including pesticides, plastics, raw materials, and pharmaceutical materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-author Bethanie Carney Almroth, from the University of Gothenburg, continued: \u201cThe rate at which these pollutants are appearing in the environment far exceeds the capacity of governments to assess global and regional risks, let alone control any potential problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The chart above shows our current pollution levels for certain categories and compares them to the \u201csafe operating\u201d levels in the smaller circle inside. The categories were identified by researchers as being responsible for Earth\u2019s \u201cstable state\u201d for the past 10,000 years. (Persson et al, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This study builds upon research published all the way back in 2009<\/a>, which listed nine \u201cplanetary boundaries\u201d that the authors believed to contribute the most to Earth\u2019s \u201cstable state\u201d\u2014a state that they say Earth has managed to maintain for the last 10,000 years. These boundaries include freshwater use, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carney Almroth added: \u201cSome of these pollutants can be found globally, from the Arctic to Antarctica, and can be extremely persistent. We have overwhelming evidence of negative impacts on Earth systems, including biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles,\u201d noting the several negative impacts chemicals and plastics impart on our planet\u2019s health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, the authors called for responsible parties and parties in power to reduce their emissions in order to prevent the worst effects of their damaging activities. \u201cWe need to be working towards implementing a fixed cap on chemical production and release,\u201d says Carney Almroth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SRC\u2019s Sarah Cornell went further: \u201c[…] [Shifting] to a circular economy is really important. That means changing materials and products so they can be reused not wasted, designing chemicals and products for recycling, and much better screening of chemicals for their safety and sustainability along their whole impact pathway in the Earth system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n