The Chemicals That Outlive Us All – And Poison the Planet

Forever Chemicals: A Toxic Legacy

Jan 19, 2025

A physical sample of PFOA, appearing as a white solid as seen here in a relatively pure form. It is commonly referred to as the main harmful PFAS chemical and PFOA is responsible for many of the negative health effects commonly associated with PFAS. By North747 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=151883491

Imagine creating something so durable, so resistant to wear and tear, that it outlasts everything—even the planet’s natural ability to break it down. Sounds like the ultimate innovation, right? Enter PFAS chemicals – more formally, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances – a family of over 4,000 synthetic chemicals known as “forever chemicals” for their incredible resilience.

Even if you don’t know exactly what it means, you will probably assume that the pairing of these two words “forever” and “chemicals” in the same sentence is not exactly a recipe for a happy ending. And you will be right.

PFAS are one of the most threatening chemicals ever invented. Thanks to their grease- and water-repelling properties, these chemicals have infiltrated our lives through an astonishing range of everyday products, from cookware and waterproof outdoor clothing to fast food wrappers, cosmetics and even electronics. They’re the silent heroes of convenience—until you realize their environmental and health implications. You see, these substances don’t degrade—not in water, not in soil, not in the human body. Ever.

A Discovery with Unforeseen Consequences

In 1938, chemist Roy J. Plunkett, while experimenting with chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants at DuPont's Jackson Laboratory in New Jersey, accidentally discovered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Its unique properties made it invaluable during the World War II. It was used to coat valves and seals in the pipes containing highly reactive uranium hexafluoride gas in the first atomic bomb.

Advertisement of the Happy Pan, a Teflon-coated pan from the 1960s. By trozzolo - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17229995

After the war, PFAS found a more everyday use – in the kitchen. It becomes famous in the coating for non-stick pans under the brand name Teflon, a material renowned for its exceptional resistance to heat and chemical corrosion. Before long, its applications expanded, finding use in countless products across industries.

The Hidden Costs of Convenience

Today, PFAS are used in a wide range of consumer products, including

· In paper and cardboard food packaging (e.g. takeaway containers, popcorn bags, pizza boxes, ready-made cakes etc.) A 2021 study found PFAS in “disposable food packaging and tableware used by popular fast food chains and takeaway restaurants across Europe.”

In non-stick cookware
In textiles (e.g. waterproof outdoor clothing and equipment, carpets, mattresses etc.)
In cosmetics (e.g. hair conditioner, foundation cream, sunscreen etc.)
In electronics (e.g. smartphones)

So, PFAS has infiltrated nearly every corner of our lives—and our environment. They are literally everywhere. They are found in living things all over the planet, in the blood of animals and the blood of humans. By simply washing your waterproof rain jacket, PFAS enter the soil and water sources. High concentrations can lead to cancer, thyroid disease, and liver damage. They can affect sperm quality and the birth weight of newborns. In short, PFAS are a growing environmental and health crisis.

A Little History

PFAS was a success story until farmer Wilbur Earl Tennant in the United States noticed that something was wrong with his cattle: they were falling ill and dying at an alarming rate. The problem, he thought, was not what they were eating but what they were drinking. Sometimes the cattle watered at a spring-fed bathtub trough at the farthest end of the field, but their primary water source was a nearby stream called Dry Run Creek. Earl suspected that the water was contaminated—with what, he did not know. In 1998, Tennant approached attorney Rob Bilott with disturbing evidence. His cattle were dying mysteriously, and he suspected a nearby DuPont plant was responsible. Bilott, initially sceptical, investigated the case.

He uncovered a shocking truth: DuPont had been dumping a toxic chemical called PFOA into local water sources for decades. This substance, used in the production of Teflon, was linked to various health issues in humans and animals. Documents show the company has known for decades that these substances are highly toxic. But they didn’t inform anybody or halt production with these chemicals, prioritising profits over public health. The revelation sparked one of the most monumental legal battles in history over PFAS contamination, and even inspired the movie “Dark Waters.”

According to DuPont, the company agreed to pay $671 million to settle thousands of personal injury lawsuits. As calls to phase out PFAS grew louder, the chemical industry began developing what they called “safe” alternatives—PFAS chemicals designed to have shorter carbon-fluorine chains compared to their long-chain predecessors.

Although less likely to bioaccumulate, short-chain PFASs remain persistent and resistant to degradation. Their high mobility in groundwater and surface water, makes them even harder to remove allowing them to easily go into plants and eventually enter the food chain.

The Price of Inaction

Experts agree that “Forever chemicals” have created one of the worst pollution crises of all time. So why are PFAS still widely used? The answer lies in a familiar pattern of corporate deception. Much like tobacco companies once denied the link between smoking and cancer and fossil fuel industries sowing doubt about climate change, chemical and plastic companies have also employed these well-rehearsed disinformation tactics to defend PFAS.

Lobbying organisations are working hard to convince policymakers to let them continue with their “chemical business as usual”, arguing that these chemicals are just too essential to modern life to go without. The Forever Lobbying Project discovered that most arguments they have presented are misleading scientific claims and scaremongering about economic impacts to protect, tactics to protect profits at the expense of public health and the environment.

The good news? After pressure from a Greenpeace “detox campaign” some outdoor gear brands, like Vaud, Paramo and Rotauf removed forever chemicals from their production chain. The Swedish furniture giant IKEA began eliminating PFAS from its supply chain in 2009 and achieved a complete phase-out in textiles by 2016 as did Swedish furniture giant IKEA.

In January 2023, five European countries — Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden — proposed a PFAS restriction, aiming to reduce PFAS emissions into the environment and make products and processes safer for people. Now the EU is thinking of banning all PFAS except the ones used in medical equipment. In the meantime, researchers are racing to crack the code for breaking these chemicals down. But as with all environmental battles, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. At the same time, the use of PFAS in Asian countries, such as China, India and Indonesia is increasing.

Meanwhile, PFAS pollution cleanup costs are astronomical. In the UK alone the cost could be £9.9 billion a year. Across Europe, the price tag for addressing PFAS pollution could soar past £1.6 trillion over the next two decades. Regulations are being proposed, but it’s a daunting task. How do you manage thousands of chemicals when they’re already everywhere?

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