{"id":1566,"date":"2015-09-10T12:32:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-10T20:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/master.k8s.p4.greenpeace.org\/eastasia\/aboutus\/1566\/paradise-lost-hazardous-chemicals-have-reached-the-furthest-corners-of-our-planet\/"},"modified":"2019-11-23T22:30:05","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T06:30:05","slug":"paradise-lost-hazardous-chemicals-have-reached-the-furthest-corners-of-our-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eastasia\/blog\/1566\/paradise-lost-hazardous-chemicals-have-reached-the-furthest-corners-of-our-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"Paradise Lost? Hazardous chemicals have reached the furthest corners of our planet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In June, we set out on a mission<\/a>: to find out if the stunning nature that we love is as unspoiled as it appears. Eight teams of Greenpeace volunteers headed expeditions across three continents to the most remote and pristine places on the planet.<\/span><\/p>\n

From Pilato Lake in Italy\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2026to Russia\u2019s Altai Mountains.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We were searching for invisible pollution and in particular for one type of hazardous chemical- PFCs.<\/p>\n

Greenpeace East Asia headed on a gruelling expedition<\/a> to the Haba Snow Mountain<\/a> in Southwest China\u2019s Shangri-la.<\/p>\n

The journey would have been impossible without the amazing team of volunteers who guided and worked with us on this challenging mission. We were incredibly fortunate to have them by our side and together, we discovered an inspiring community <\/a>of local people who are taking action to protect the mountain they love.<\/p>\n

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Unfortunately, it\u2019s difficult to protect against something you can\u2019t see.<\/p>\n

After collecting snow and water samples and sending them for third party laboratory testing we found traces of PFCs \u2013 a hazardous, persistent chemical-  in <\/strong>every single one of our testing sites.<\/strong>
\nEven 5,000m above sea level on the Haba Snow Mountain.<\/p>\n

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What are PFCs?<\/strong>
\nPer and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are used to make all kinds of products, but are particularly widespread in the outdoor clothing industry as they can be applied to make clothing waterproof.<\/p>\n

Once released into the environment, these chemicals can take years to break down and are quickly and easily dispersed across the planet. Some PFCs can be hazardous to human health, and have the potential to harm to the reproductive system, promote growth of tumours and interfere with hormones.<\/p>\n