PFAS - Forever Chemicals

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➡️ PFAS - Global Contamination Of The Environment With Toxic, Forever Chemicals

PFAS refers to the chemical substances Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl. There are over 10,000 different man-made variations which are extremely resistant to biodegradation.

They were invented in the 1930s and 40s for military and industrial use due to their high durability. Their heat resistance, strength, and ability to repel grease and water meant that they found their way into everyday household items.

PFAS chemicals are found in non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, carpet treatments, food packaging, waterproof clothing, makeup and personal care products, and paints and cleaning products. PFAS chemicals are so prevalent in our environment that they have been found everywhere from Mount Everest to the deepest oceans.

The global market value for PFAS in 2023 was $14.3 billion; it is projected to reach $20 billion by 2029.

Companies became aware of the serious risks of PFAS in the 1960s but it was hidden from the public until the late 1990s. Various lawsuits helped uncover the truth, but by then the damage was already done.

Almost 100% of the U.S. population is exposed to at least one type of PFAS. It has been found to cause immune dysfunction, increased risk of cancer, various reproductive implications, and developmental issues in children.

The annual health costs associated with PFAS exposure in Europe range from €52 to €84 billion.

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Why Are PFAS Chemicals So Prevalent?

The widespread use of these toxic chemicals in everyday items and their inability to break down mean they are quite literally everywhere. Their resistance to water and just about everything else means they have found their way into our water sources, soils, air, and food.

As they take decades to break down in the environment, there has been a significant accumulation, posing a disastrous risk to ecosystems and public health. Companies ignored the warning signs, kept the dangers secret, and misled the public about their safety.

An estimated 99% of humans now have measurable levels of PFAS in their blood. Contamination has been found on all 7 continents, even in the most remote of places. Recent global studies found that 69% of groundwater samples contain the chemicals, and even more worryingly, with no known contamination sources.

In Europe, there are over 17,000 contaminated sites and about 2,300 hotspots which have extremely hazardous concentrations. In the U.S., PFAS are present in about 75% of urban tap water samples and 25% of rural samples.

The effects are most severe for those living in close proximity to manufacturing plants, military bases, airports, and landfills. In these areas, the water, soil, and air are more highly contaminated.

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Environmental & Health Issues

• PFAS chemicals are fuelling the biodiversity crisis as they accumulate in living organisms and move up the food chain.
• Around 600 species are already affected by reproductive failures, immune system suppression, and metabolic disruptions.
• During the production of PFAS chemicals, manufacturing plants release huge quantities of greenhouse gases, contributing to the climate crisis. Some plants emit HCFC-22, which is roughly 5,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. There is much debate about their use in renewable energy technology, as we attempt to solve one problem, we create another.
• PFAS is highly mobile in soil and leaches into groundwater from landfill waste and firefighting foams. From here, it flows into rivers, lakes, and drinking water.
• Biomagnification means that concentrations of PFAS increase as they move up the food chain, affecting aquatic ecosystems and the safety of food for human consumption.
• PFAS chemicals travel long distances by air, meaning no place on Earth is spared from their impacts.
• The presence of PFAS chemicals in humans is linked to reduced ability to fight infections and a decreased response to vaccines.
• There is evidence that exposure causes increased risk of kidney, testicular, thyroid, and liver cancers.
• PFAS causes higher cholesterol levels and an increased risk of obesity or type 2 diabetes.
• There is a clear link between high levels of PFAS and lower infant birth weights and accelerated puberty.
• The highest risk groups are infants and young children, communities relying on contaminated water sources, and workers in the manufacturing industry.

Legal Challenges Against PFAS

In the U.S., Europe, and Australia, tens of thousands of lawsuits have been filed against PFAS manufacturers and users. The main challenges are centred around environmental damage, health implications, and consumer deception.

The first major lawsuit was filed in 1999 in West Virginia on behalf of farmer Wilbur Tennant. The events inspired the movie ‘Dark Waters’. The suit alleged that DuPont knowingly contaminated the water supply after Tennant saw his cattle suffering from numerous health issues.

DuPont was found to have dumped 7,100 tons of PFOA sludge during the late 1980s, despite knowing that PFAS was toxic and had serious harmful effects on humans and animals. The large settlement figure was used to fund the C8 Science Panel, which works to connect PFOA to diseases.

This lawsuit laid the foundations for thousands of other cases in the years that followed.

As of early 2026, U.S. chemical companies, including 3M, DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva, have paid approximately $14 billion in total settlements to resolve litigation over PFAS contamination.

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Regulations Around The World

As the toxic legacy of PFAS was kept hidden for decades, progress on regulating its use has been significantly delayed. In general, there is a shift towards regulation and bans; however, progress is slow, and under the Trump administration, several environmental rollbacks have stalled it further.

In the EU, governments are working to restrict PFAS as a group, covering all 10,000 substances with a goal of a near-total ban. In 2026, PFAS were banned in food packaging, and a new limit was placed on drinking water.

In 2026, the UK government in 2026 launched a plan to map, restrict, and manage PFAS. It involves phased restrictions, which will begin in 2027 on all non-essential products. They plan to introduce a drinking water limit in the near future, ban firefighting foams, and impose stricter regulations on industrial emissions.

U.S. regulation, driven by the scale of contamination, the slow pace of federal action, and the thousands of chemical variations that remain unregulated, is insufficient. Historically, the EPA has taken steps to improve drinking water standards, but rollbacks under Trump have actually loosened these limits and permitted the use of certain PFAS in pesticides.

To reduce the regulatory burden on industries, the U.S. are compromising public health and water safety. While the EU has taken a proactive approach, in the face of industry resistance, the global response overall is slow and wholly inadequate.

Flickr | Emilian Robert Vicol

Addressing The Pollution Burden

Not only must we stop adding to the PFAS pollution burden, but we must also tackle the existing accumulation of it in our environment. Cleaning up legacy pollution is no easy feat in the face of such a widespread, stubborn issue.

We must enforce accountability through the polluter-pays principle.

Advanced technologies which utilise activated carbon can remove PFAS from drinking water and wastewater. We must move away from landfills and incineration and towards destruction technologies that can break down the carbon-fluorine bond.

Contaminated sewage sludge, when spread onto agricultural land, must be treated first to prevent further soil contamination.

By reducing human and animal exposure to PFAS, we can begin to slowly reduce the impacts, but this approach only works if we prevent further contamination and stop the influx of new PFAS at the source.

As individuals, we can reduce our exposure by:

• Installing a water filter which uses activated carbon or reverse osmosis.
• Contact your local water supplier to find out when their last testing was and for a copy of the results.
• Replace traditional non-stick cookware with cast iron, stainless steel, glass, or ceramic.
• Avoid eating anything that came in grease-resistant packaging, such as fast-food wrappers, pizza boxes, and microwave popcorn.
• Store leftovers in glass or metal containers, not plastic ones.
• Avoid carpets, furniture, and clothes treated with stain-resistant sprays.
• Check for labels which say PFAS-free or PFC-free.
• Steer clear of cosmetics, toiletries, and dental floss that list PTFE or perfluoro in their ingredients.
• Support organisations and local action groups which are pushing for stricter regulations on PFAS.
• Contact your local politicians to demand stronger restrictions on PFAS in products and on industrial pollution.

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Chemical pollution has officially passed the safe limit for humanity. Strict universal regulation and demanding accountability from polluters are the only paths forward to protect current and future generations.

Chemical-by-chemical regulation of a group which contains over 10,000 substances is futile. All PFAS must be banned through blanket legislation to achieve a prompt, effective solution to this dangerous problem. Any other response will take decades and leave one harmful chemical to be replaced by another.

The multi-billion-dollar PFAS industry has orchestrated a well-funded, intense lobbying campaign to prevent further regulation and avoid a trillion-dollar cleanup bill.

"We’re facing a ‘forever chemicals’ crisis... at the cost of our health, our environment, and the lives of our loved ones." - Mark Ruffalo.

We must not delay action any further.

Author: Rachael Mellor, 01.05.26 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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