PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’ are found in fire-fighting foam, food packaging, waterproof cosmetics, non-stick pans, stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products and paints.
(Shutterstock)
The Canadian government needs to regulate and, eventually, stop the continued release of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ into the environment and also prevent the creation of any toxic replacements.
How long do chemicals really need to last?
Andrew Brookes via Getty Images
PFAS are chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products that can persist in the environment for a very long time. New regulations seek to ban PFAS, but Canada needs to take further actions.
Most food in Australia remains free of PFAS, but a new study has found it can build up in cattle on PFAS-affected farms. But there are ways to manage the land and livestock to reduce the risks.
PFAS can be found in hundreds of water systems in the U.S.
d3sign/Moment via Getty Images
The drinking water systems serving over 70 million people may not meet newly proposed water quality standards. It could cost hundreds of billions of dollars to fix that.
Every household is more likely than not to have dusts containing PFAS chemicals at low concentrations. But how worried should we be about the risks to our personal health?
A new federal regulation will set national limits on two ‘forever chemicals’ widely found in drinking water.
Thanasis Zovoilis/moment via Getty Images
The Biden administration is finalizing the first federal limits on two compounds, PFOA and PFOS, in drinking water. These so-called ‘forever chemicals’ have been linked to numerous health effects.
Pesticide use on school playing fields varies from state to state.
matimix/iStock/Getty Images Plus
These chemicals are now present in water, soil and living organisms and can be found across almost every part of the planet – including 98% of the American public.
Stain-resistance can mean questionable chemicals in children’s clothes.
VM via Getty Images
Tests found PFAS in school uniforms, pillows, upholstered furniture and several other items that are often next to children’s skin and near their noses and mouths.
The Arctic and sub-Arctic regions are no longer exempt of industrial contamination. Researchers have found high blood levels of potentially harmful chemicals in people living in the North.