So-called “forever chemicals,” which are compounds that do not break down easily in the environment, are entering the air from the water through sea spray, a new Swedish study says. Detailing their findings in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, researchers said lab results showed that when bubbles containing perfluoralkyl acids (PFAS) burst at the surface of saltwater, the compounds were aerosolized and entered the air in tiny particles. In order to find out if sea spray could be a vehicle for the compounds to be transported long distances, researchers did field observations at two coastal locations in Norway, collecting more than 100 air samples between 2018 and 2020.