Why We Are Concerned about PFAS

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic fluorinated chemicals widely used because of their stability and water and oil repellence. Because they contain carbon-fluorine bonds, PFAS are extremely persistent in the environment and some have been shown to be toxic and to bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife. Unless their production and use are checked, PFAS will continue to accumulate on the entire planet, and be sources of exposure for humans and wildlife today and far into the future. 

1. PFAS are everywhere

PFAS have been detected everywhere on the globe where samples have been taken and analysed – from the high Himalayas to the bodies of polar bears in the Arctic, to the deep oceans. In the USA, PFAS contaminate the water of nearly 110 million people. They are present in humans at nearly the same level across the industrialized world from Europe to USA to Japan to Australia, and are also found in almost every person from the rest of the world. Exposure is no longer a choice.

2. PFAS never go away

PFASs are a class of thousands of substances with diverse sources, properties, fate and transport behavior, exposure pathways and effects. However, all PFASs are extremely persistent in the environment. They are called the ‘forever chemicals’ because, like plastics, they will be on the planet for eons to come.

3. PFAS in our bodies have the potential to cause health problems

Epidemiologists have found associations between exposure to just one PFAS – PFOA – and a wide range of diseases, including kidney and testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, pregnancy-induced preeclampsia and hypertension, ulcerative colitis and thyroid diseases. Higher incidences of metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes have also been linked to PFAS exposure. While the toxicity of a few PFAS such as PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS is well documented, in general, toxicity data are lacking for the thousands of other PFAS in use today. The mounting evidence of immunosuppression is of particular concern, given today’s communicable diseases.

4. PFAS are released to the environment at every stage of production, use, and disposal

Emissions of PFAS occur during their production at industrial sites or when they are used for manufacturing certain products. The use of PFAS-treated products such as clothing or carpets exposes consumers and releases additional PFAS into the environment, e.g., through the discharge of urban wastewater. At the end of the product’s life, PFAS do not disappear but end up leaching into groundwater from landfills or being emitted into the atmosphere during incineration. Due to the extreme persistence, ubiquitous distribution and mobility of PFAS, environmental release ultimately leads to human exposure. 

5. Costs of exposure to PFAS are high

PFAS accumulate in the environment and contaminate scarce natural resources such as drinking water and agricultural soil. Consumer products and food contact materials are other sources of exposure leading to ubiquitous human exposure and potential adverse effects. Health-related costs for Europe are estimated at 52–85 billion EUR a year, and non-health related costs (mainly drinking water remediation) range from 17 to 170 billion EUR over the next 20 years.

6. Many uses of PFAS are not essential, and can be phased out

Many uses of PFASs could be phased out without major economic or social disruption because they are not essential for health, safety, or necessary functions of society. In other cases, PFAS can be removed from products where non-fluorinated, less persistent alternatives exist.  Lastly, identification of truly essential use cases provides innovation targets for the associated business sectors.