New type of acid rain could threaten life on Earth

This 'forever chemical' is almost impossible to remove from the environment

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Scientists have warned about a new kind of acid rain that is everywhere, is almost impossible to clean up, and could be a threat to every living thing on the planet. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) – a type of persistent 'forever chemical' – is now present in every rain shower and snowfall on the planet, in concentrations far higher than in previous decades.

It's not yet known exactly what TFA means for human health or the environment, but some researchers have said that the chemical could be an existential threat.

“There’s emerging evidence that TFA can disrupt vital Earth system processes, such as mammal embryo development and decreasing soil respiration,” Prof Hans Peter Arp, a chemist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, told BBC Science Focus.

Arp’s recent research classified TFA as a planetary threat similar to global warming or the break down of the ozone layer.