A comprehensive guide to Forever Chemicals

Forever chemicals are a large group of synthetic chemicals known as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). They are characterised by the presence of fluorinated carbon chains, or carbon-fluorine polar covalent bonds. This bond is one of the strongest single bonds in chemistry, rendering these chemicals incapable of being broken down by natural processes, hence, they last “forever”. Their chemical properties are fantastic for products, the same way asbestos is a fantastic insulator. Like asbestos, the same properties that make them desirable for products also make them incredibly dangerous for living organisms. This class of chemicals has been associated with cancer, particularly kidney and testicular (1,2), liver damage (3), ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (4), adverse birth outcomes and infertility (5). Understanding PFAS and their health implications is important for reducing exposure, although complete avoidance is not possible.

What are PFAS?

The strong and durable Carbon-Fluorine bonds give PFAS exceptional stability and the ability to resist breakdown by heat, chemicals, and biological processes. Additionally, their hydrophobic nature repels water, while their low surface energy allows them to reduce friction and create a non-stick surface. Chemically inert, PFAS do not readily react with other substances, further enhancing their stability. These properties make PFAS ideal for use in a variety of products, including water-resistant coatings for clothing and textiles, non-stick cookware, firefighting foams, grease-proof food containers and stain-resistant treatments for carpets and upholstery.

Environmental Prevalence

Initially developed in the late 1930s, PFAS have been commercially produced since the 1940s and have remained in the environment ever since. Due to their persistent nature, PFAS can accumulate in the environment, including soil, water, and air. Industrial sites, wastewater treatment plants, and landfills are major sources of PFAS contamination. All these sources eventually lead back to the bioaccumulation in humans and animals.

How PFAS cycle through the environment

The ubiquity of PFAS in the environment for the past 80 years, combined with their long half-lives, means there are now measurable levels of PFAS in the blood of most people (6,7,8,9).

That means that virtually every person and animal on the planet currently has chemicals in their body that are known to cause serious health conditions and cannot be destroyed by natural processes.

Chemicals that did not exist in nature less than 100 years ago.

Let that sink in.

History and the Failing Regulatory System

You would be forgiven for believing every chemical that companies develop undergoes scrutinising scientific evaluation, and environmental and human testing before they are incorporated into products that we use every day. Unfortunately, that is not the case. We currently live in a world with millions of synthetic (man-made, using non-natural processes) chemicals, ALL developed within the past 150 years, potentially hundreds of thousands of which are unregulated.

Despite commercial production since the 1940s, PFAS toxicity was not publicly established until the late 1990s. For over fifty years they entered the marketplace without an iota of scepticism from the public, and still do to this day. Companies knew about the harmful effects through industry-driven research and yet chose not to inform the government at the risk of forfeiting immense profits.  

Some versions of these chemicals have been banned for use such as PFOS. The problem with these chemicals is that new iterations are constantly being formulated. The EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard (last update August 2022) lists no less than 14 735 different PFAS chemicals. This is too many to keep track of and regulate, and by the time they are regulated, the damage is already done.

The film "Dark Waters" portrays the true events of a 20-year legal battle against the DuPont chemical company due to their use of PFOA and PFOS in their landmark product teflon (non-stick coating), whose chemical waste was found to be contaminating the population of Parkersburg, West Virginia. If you have not seen the film, it is a fantastic insight into how difficult it is to regulate these chemicals.

Considering it took 20 years, immense resources and quantities of epidemiological data to regulate only two types of PFAS, a simple calculation would leave us to assume that it will be roughly 143,000 years before we know the true effects of all the PFAS chemicals in existence today. It doesn’t take a genius to understand how useless that turnover time would be for our species. PFAS are persistent in the environment, therefore the exposure clock doesn’t end on the date of the regulation, it ends once it has broken down in nature.

Absorption and Pathophysiology

The most common routes of human exposure to PFAS are ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Ingestion occurs primarily through contaminated food and water, especially in areas near industrial sites or where firefighting foams have been used. Inhalation of PFAS-contaminated air can occur near manufacturing facilities or during the application of certain consumer products. Dermal contact may happen using PFAS-containing personal care products or contact with PFAS-treated surfaces. Once absorbed, PFAS can accumulate in various tissues, including the liver, kidneys, and blood. Inside the body, they competitively bind to proteins (10), and exhibit endocrine-disrupting properties, interfering with hormone balance, affecting the thyroid, reproductive system, and metabolic function.

Unfortunately, our bodies do not have an efficient way of removing PFAS, some may be excreted via the urine and faeces, but the process is slow. There is one reliable way of removing PFAS from your body.

Ready for this?

It occurs via transferral across the placenta to your newborn infant after childbirth and through breastfeeding (11,12). That’s right, you can pass your bioaccumulated PFAS to your newborn, leaving you cleansed and your infant ready to start developing full of forever chemicals.

Can’t see how that could go wrong...

How To Minimise Exposure:

1. Filter drinking water: Invest in a high-quality water filter like a reverse osmosis filter that is specifically designed to remove PFAS from tap water. Look for filters certified by reputable organisations, such as NSF or WQA.
   

2. Choose natural, PFAS-free products: Read labels carefully and choose products that are PFAS-free, including cookware, food packaging, and personal care items like dental floss. Seek alternatives like stainless steel or cast-iron cookware (see our pots and pans post).
   

3. Be cautious of food sources: Stay informed about potential sources of PFAS in food. Minimise consumption of food products known to be more likely to contain PFAS, such as certain types of seafood or crops grown in contaminated areas. Avoid takeaway food stored in grease-proof packaging.
   

4. Avoid unnecessary stain and water repellents: Be mindful of products that claim to be stain or water-repellent, as they may contain PFAS. Choose natural alternatives or those labelled as PFAS-free.
   

5. Support environmental regulations: Advocate for stricter regulations and policies regarding the manufacturing, use, and disposal of PFAS-containing products. Encourage companies to find safer alternatives.

We live in an ongoing global experiment where a few conglomerates get to make their own rules, and like lab rats, we must shut up and deal with it. Your health ultimately rests in your hands, and yours alone. It might sound like fearmongering, and maybe it is. Here’s the paradox: we’ve run the experiment with natural chemicals and materials, for no less than two million years, and we arrived here unscathed. The PFAS experiment has gone for 0.004% of that time, and already we know they are damaging our health. Consider that before you cook your next meal on a non-stick pan.