Rainwater is unsafe to drink everywhere, researchers say

(CNN) - Researchers say rainwater across the globe should be considered unsafe to drink because of the presence of what are known as “forever chemicals.”

The study is based on United States environmental protection standards for levels of the thousands of chemicals that do not break down and are continuously cycled through the environment.

The study by Stockholm University and ETH Zurich University concludes there is likely no part of the world unaffected by the contamination, saying the chemicals have been found in Antarctica and the Tibetan Plateau.

Research shows the chemicals, known as PFAS, may be associated with a number of health risks, including cancer.

The lead researcher said in the industrial world, people do not often drink rainwater, but many people around the world do and expect it to be safe, and it supplies many drinking water sources.

The study was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.