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There’s been growing concern about the presence of PFAS chemicals in our drinking water. These “forever chemicals” linger in the environment and in our bodies. Most of us have been exposed through common household items like cosmetics, waterproof fabrics and stain-resistant clothing.
Proposed new guidelines for acceptable PFAS levels have now been released for Australia’s drinking water supply. They reduce the levels previously considered safe for four key PFAS compounds.
But as Ian Musgrave explains, PFAS levels in drinking water across Australia are already below the new proposed limits. While the buildup of any chemical in our bodies is understandably concerning, the potential health risks appear to be low.
Meanwhile, at this time every year we ask our readers to complete our reader survey. Tell us what you like about The Conversation and what we can do better. We’d love to hear from more of you to help guide our decisions and the survey only takes ten minutes.
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Ruth McHugh-Dillon
Assistant Health Editor
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Ian Musgrave, University of Adelaide
A review of Australia’s drinking water guidelines has recommended reducing the levels previously considered safe for four PFAS chemicals. But the impact on human health is likely to be minimal.
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Megan MacKenzie, Simon Fraser University; Benjamin E. Goldsmith, Australian National University
As our research shows, Australian academics responded differently to potential PhD students, depending on the racial background of their name.
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Daryl Higgins, Australian Catholic University; Gabrielle Hunt, Australian Catholic University
One of the most effective tools parents have is open, regular, and age-appropriate conversations with their kids.
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Jonathan Boymal, RMIT University; Ashton De Silva, RMIT University; Sarah Sinclair, RMIT University
In the short term, falling fertility rates can actually have some economic benefits. But the picture gets more complex in the long term, and far less rosy.
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Fay Johnston, University of Tasmania
New international research reveals climate change increased the proportion of wildfire smoke-related human deaths tenfold between the 1960s and 2010s. Here’s what that means for Australia.
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David Smith, University of Sydney
Republicans and Liberals have found common cause attacking big business. But when it comes to actually siding with workers over business, a different picture emerges.
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Ehsan Nabavi, Australian National University
AI promises to accelerate scientific discovery, but if scientists aren’t careful public trust may be left behind.
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Nathan Cooper, University of Waikato; Amanda Turnbull, University of Waikato
Artificial intelligence is energy hungry and has an ever-expanding carbon footprint. Embracing the technology will make it harder for New Zealand to meet its climate targets.
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Michelle Hamadache, Macquarie University
National identities are also the source of fierce loyalties and resistances. They elevate individual stories to the weight and scale of a national story.
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Alexandra Crosby, University of Technology Sydney
In this bold and unusual exhibition, we listen to traditional owners and get inside the imaginations of eight of Australia’s most innovative landscape architecture studios.
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Politics + Society
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Annette Greenhow, Bond University; Stephen Townsend, The University of Queensland
An Australian Senate committee’s landmark report on concussions listed 13 recommendations. A year on, how have things progressed?
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Health + Medicine
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Mike Lee, Flinders University
Light helps explains the evolution of our skin colour, why some of us have curly hair, and the size of our eyes. And light still shapes us today.
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Science + Technology
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Jongkil Jay Jeong, The University of Melbourne
Human error is responsible for nearly 70% of successful cyber attacks. But three key strategies can help address this problem.
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Environment + Energy
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John Quiggin, The University of Queensland
As Australia’s domestic reliance on coal falls, our exports are bigger than ever – and new coal approvals suggest this won’t change soon.
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Education
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Peter Yongqi Gu, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Stephen Dobson, CQUniversity Australia
Chinese learners achieve remarkable success levels compared to their Western peers. But it’s not simply based on rote learning and passive education. The reality is more complex – and more creative.
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Arts + Culture
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Raffaele F Ciriello, University of Sydney; Angelina Ying Chen, University of Sydney
As AI ‘companions’ permeate our most intimate spheres, we risk diminishing our own human essence by falsely attributing human qualities to them.
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Books + Ideas
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Patrick Flanery, University of Adelaide
At the heart of Erdrich’s novel is the centrality of family and the way unhappiness itself can be deeply political.
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Business + Economy
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Geoff Hanmer, University of Technology Sydney
Most schools are only ventilated using windows, which are often closed. Installing high-filtration air conditioning would cut the spread of airborne viruses and save more than $1 billion per year.
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