However, they have also found their way into everyday consumer products, raising public concern due to their harmful effects on people's health.

“PFAS are these man-made chemicals, they don't occur naturally, we have to make them in the lab,” Dr Shelley Liu, associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai."

• How to avoid PFAS: 5 common items to avoid to minimise exposure to 'forever chemicals' – Euronews

‘Forever chemicals’ exposure

• Toxic PFAS absorbed through skin at levels higher than previously thought – Guardian
• Lithium-ion batteries have a forever chemical problem – The Verge
• Researchers identify multiple 'forever chemical' contamination hot spots in US – Phys.org

“Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS are a group of chemicals that have been used in manufacturing and added to consumer products since the 1950s. They allow grease and dirt to slide off carpets and textiles, protect industrial equipment from heat damage and corrosion, and help to smooth and condition the skin. They are also used in jet engines, medical devices, refrigeration systems, the construction industry and electrical devices. ​However, they can take hundreds or even thousands of years to degrade after the products they have been used in are thrown away. This means that if they leak into the soil or water, which they often do, they could remain there for centuries.”​

• What are PFAs? Everything you need to know about the ‘forever chemicals’ surrounding us every day – The Guardian

Occupational Exposure and Human Health Risks

• PFAS : Tests sur la femme – RTS
• PFAS: Firefighters have a 'front row seat' for contamination by 'forever chemicals' – Le Monde
• French lawmakers vote to ban 'forever chemicals' except in cooking utensils – Le Monde
• Navy explores how to get ‘forever chemicals’ out of sailor uniforms – NavyTimes

PFAS transformation & degradation

• Researchers identify potential microbes and genes that impact forever chemicals – phys.org
• Research seeks solution to PFAS chemicals in waste – phys.org

“A report published on Monday, May 27 revealed "widespread contamination" of waterways in Europe by trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a "forever chemical" as little known as it is regulated, resulting in particular from the degradation of pesticides belonging to the large family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).”

• The Seine and other European rivers contaminated by a 'forever chemical' that has gone under the radar -  le Monde

‘Forever chemicals’ in water streams

• Q&A: What the EPA limits on 'forever chemicals' in water mean – Medical Press
• Rapidly rising levels of TFA ‘forever chemical’ alarm experts – The Guardian
• Water, chemical industries challenge Biden’s rule to restrict ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water – The Hill.com
• Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ ubiquitous in Great Lakes basin, study finds – The Guardian
• There are ‘forever chemicals’ in our drinking water. Should standards change to protect our health? -  The Conversation
• Luxembourg waters heavily contaminated by 'forever chemical' TFA – RTL
• Using microbial degradation to break down chlorinated PFAS in wastewater – phys.org

Forever chemicals, or PFAS, are the subject of a pivotal study by Stockholm University’s Department of Environmental Science. This research uncovers a neglected route through which PFAS cycle back to land from the ocean. It challenges the common belief, showing PFAS do not simply dilute in the ocean but follow a cyclical journey. The study reveals that ocean waves launch these toxic substances into the air, where they then settle back onto land, posing potential risks to human health and the environment.

·         Ocean waves send harmful PFAS forever chemicals back to land  –  earth.com

PFAS exposure

• Genève découvre d'importants foyers de pollution aux PFAS dans ses eaux souterraines  –  RTS
• How to limit PFAS in your drinking water and food, according to experts  –  CTV News
• US Map Reveals Hot Spots of Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' – Newsweek
• Australia among hotspots for toxic ‘forever chemicals’, study of PFAS levels finds – The Guardian
• EPA has limited six ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water – but there are 15,000 – The Guardian
• PFAS ‘forever chemicals’: Why EPA set federal drinking water limits for these health-harming contaminants – The Conversation
• Seafood consumption linked to ‘forever chemicals’, scientists warn – WION
• ‘Forever chemicals’ found in fruit and veg – Foodprint
• ‘Forever chemicals’ are hiding in your kitchen. Here’s where—and what you can do – National Geographic
• ‘Forever chemicals’: French MPs approve PFAS product ban – France 24

Do your “band-aids” or bandages have indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside the absorbent pad or adhesive flaps? This is exactly what the Mamavation community asked us and we had no idea, so we started testing different bandage products to find out. Mamavation sent several types of bandages off to an EPA-certified lab to ascertain whether consumers were being exposed to PFAS when they were bandaging up open wounds. More:

• “Band-Aids” & Bandages with Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Report  –  Mamavation

• PFAS & Their Uses  –  3M
• PFAS in Building Materials  –  Green Science Policy Institute

Growers’ use of the neurotoxic weed killer paraquat is concentrated in just five agricultural counties, leaving low-income Latinos disproportionately exposed to a chemical linked to Parkinson’s disease, a new analysis shows. More:

• California’s Latino Communities Most at Risk From Exposure to Brain-Damaging Weed Killer  –  Inside Climate News

• Paraquat disproportionately threatens California’s low-income Latino communities  –  EWG
• Agricultural paraquat dichloride use and Parkinson’s disease in California’s Central Valley  –  Oxford Academic

• Cancer incidence among paraquat-exposed pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study (Research abstract)

• Paraquat (herbicide) as a cause of Parkinson's Disease (Research abstract)
• Rotenone, Paraquat, and Parkinson’s Disease (Research article)
• Paraquat elicited neurobehavioral syndrome caused by dopaminergic neuron loss (Research article)
• Parkinson’s Disease Is Predominantly an Environmental Disease (Research article)

• Prenatal pesticide exposure and childhood leukemia – A California statewide case-control study (Research abstract)
• Of Pesticides and Men: A California Story of Genes and Environment in Parkinson’s Disease (Research article)

• It’s time to ban paraquat  –  EWG
• Petition for Review and Set Aside Order Titled Paraquat Dichloride, Interim Registration Review Decision  –  U.S. Court of Appeals

• Secret files suggest chemical giant feared weedkiller’s link to Parkinson’s disease  –  The Guardian

The grass may be greener if it's made of synthetic turf, but some communities are raising concerns about "forever chemicals" that may be found in many of the faux fields. More:

• Debate about safety of synthetic turf and 'forever chemicals' raises concerns for some  –  ABC News

• Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS  –  US EPA
• PFAS Information for Clinicians – 2024  –  US ATSDR

Two chemicals found in common household products like disinfectants and furniture may play a role in the development of neurological disorders like autism and multiple sclerosis, according to a new study, adding to previous research that found the chemicals may be detrimental to human health. More:

• Chemicals Found In Popular Household Products Potentially Linked To Autism, Multiple Sclerosis, Study Suggests  –  Forbes

• Flame Retardants in Furniture  –  Green Science Policy Institute
• Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants: Are They a Regrettable Substitution for Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers? (Research article)
• Exposure to Organophosphate Ester (OPE) Flame Retardants & Plasticizers  –  Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource
• Gestational Exposure to Flame Retardant Alters Brain Development in Rats  –  NC State University

• Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Cleaning Products - Health & Safety Information for Cleaners and Supervisors  –  Mount Sinai
• Ambient and Dosed Exposure to Quaternary AmmoniumDisinfectants Causes Neural Tube Defects in Rodents (Research article)
• Disinfectant Exposure Decreases Reproductive Hormones  –  Osteopathic.org

Millions of tonnes of asbestos are being removed from buildings around the world – can this dangerous mineral be disposed of permanently? Or even be put to good use?. More:

• Asbestos is a global waste problem - here's how we might get rid of it  –  BBC

• An asbestos contaminated town in the vicinity of an asbestos-cement facility: The case study of Sibaté, Colombia (Research abstract)
• Asbestos cement products and their impact on soil contamination in relation to various sources of anthropogenic and natural asbestos pollution (Research article)
• Asbestos in drinking water: What does it mean for human health?  –  BBC
• Chrysotile asbestos migration in air from contaminated water: An experimental simulation (Research article)

• Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos  –  US EPA
• Asbestos in the Home  –  Mesothelioma.com

• How Does Asbestos Induce Pathogenic Changes?  –  US ATSDR
• What are the health hazards of exposure to asbestos?  –  US National Cancer Institute
• Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study in Indonesia (Research article)

• Global Asbestos Disaster (Research article)
• Malignant mesothelioma in females: the institutional failure by WHO and IARC to protect public health (Research article)
• Malignant pleural mesothelioma: an epidemiological perspective (Research article)

• Disposal of asbestos waste  –  UK Health and Safety Executive
• Sustainable management of hazardous asbestos-containing materials: Containment, stabilization and inertization (Research article)
• Production of vitrified material from hazardous asbestos-cement waste and CRT glass cullet (Research article)
• Challenging Global Waste Management – Bioremediation to Detoxify Asbestos (Research article)

• The U.S. announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?  –  National Geographic
• Biden-Harris Administration finalizes ban on ongoing uses of asbestos to protect people from cancer  –  US EPA
• EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enacted  –  AP EPA

A recent study conducted by the Environmental Working Group found that a number of beauty and skin care products contain Teflon, the brand name for a chemical called polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE, and/or other fluorinated chemicals known as per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFASs). More:

• Here's How To Find Out If There's Teflon In Your Beauty Products  –  HuffPost
• Is Teflon in Your Cosmetics?  –  EWG
• EWG's guide to avoiding PFAS chemicals (factsheet) (download PDF)  –  EWG

The Lou Guillette Jr. Outstanding Young Investigator Award is an annual award given to an early career scientist who studies endocrine-disrupting chemicals — compounds like BPA and phthalates that alter the proper functioning of our hormones. EHN senior news editor Brian Bienkowski sat down with Dr. Anne Starling, winner of the 2023 Lou Guillette award, to discuss her work on PFAS and other toxics, how this has shaped her consumer habits, and where she finds hope. More:

• Q&A: Award-winning scientist Anne Starling on the latest PFAS research— and where she finds hope  –  EHN

The initiative, known as the Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management Programme (FARM), seeks to address the rampant use of highly hazardous pesticides and agricultural plastics that contribute to pollution and pose significant health risks globally. More:

• Global initiative launches to tackle toxic agricultural pollution  –  AWE International
• New initiative aims to curb the toxic impacts of agriculture  –  UNEP

Our world is awash in chemicals. While many have improved our lives, a lax regulatory system, coupled with chemical industry greed and malfeasance, means that many other chemicals are harming our health and the environment. More:

• The Toxic Chemicals Hiding in Our Homes, and How We Can Reduce Them  –  Earthjustice

• Now Available: Latest Update to the TSCA Inventory  –  US EPA
• How to Access the TSCA Inventory  –  US EPA

• Breaking Down Toxic PFAS  –  Earthjustice
• Navigation Panel to PFAS Structure Lists  –  US EPA

Approximately 95% of nonorganic strawberries, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, collard and mustard greens, grapes, peaches and pears tested by the United States government contained detectable levels of pesticides, according to the 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. More:

• Blueberries, strawberries again on the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list  –  CNN

• EWG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce - Clean Fifteen  –  EWG
• WG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce - Dirty Dozen  –  EWG

• Pesticide Data Program  –  U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Current status of pesticide effects on environment, human health and it’s eco-friendly management as bioremediation: A comprehensive review (Research article)

• Human Health Issues Related to Pesticides  –  US EPA
• Association between intake of fruits and vegetables by pesticide residue status and coronary heart disease risk (Research article)
• Adult Organophosphate and Carbamate Insecticide Exposure and Sperm Concentration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Epidemiological Evidence (Research article)
• Exposure to pesticides during pregnancy and the risk of neural tube defects: A systematic review (Research abstract)
• Prenatal and childhood exposure to organophosphate pesticides and functional brain imaging in young adults (Research article)

• Farmworkers-at-Risk-The Growing Dangers of Pesticides and Heat  –  Union of Concerned Scientists
• Farmers exposed to pesticides have almost five times more DNA damage: a meta-analysis study (Research abstract)

• EPA Releases Risk Assessment Showing Significant Risks to Human Health from the Herbicide DCPA  –  US EPA

• Uncertainty surrounding the mechanism and safety of the post-harvest fungicide fludioxonil (Research abstract)

• Pyrimethanil - Human Health Risk Assessment  –  US EPA
• Pyrimethanil; Pesticide Tolerances  –  US Federal Register
• Chronic exposures to fungicide pyrimethanil: multi-organ effects on Italian tree frog (Hyla intermedia) (Research article)

Due to their water- and fat-repellent properties, PFAS can be found in many products. Yet these forever chemicals can be highly toxic. In the US, they've been phased out of all fast-food wrappers and packaging. More:

• How harmful are forever chemicals? (video)  –  DW

Most of the nation’s plastic sandwich baggies contain toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”, an analysis suggests, raising questions about the products’ safety in the US. Testing of 11 types of baggies made by major producers showed high levels of a marker of PFAS in nine. More:

• Most US sandwich baggies contain toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals’, analysis says  –  The Guardian

• Plastic Sandwich Bags Like Ziploc Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”  –  Mamavation
• Beyond paper, part 2: PFAS intentionally used to make plastic food packaging  –  EDF Health
• Plastic containers still distributed across the US are a potential health disaster  –  The Guardian

• Directly Fluorinated Containers as a Source of Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylic Acids (Research abstract)
• New US lawsuit targets ‘forever chemicals’ in plastic food containers  –  The Guardian

• Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications  –  US FDA

• New study reveals diet link to PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in human body  –  The Guardian
• Toxic PFAS chemicals used in packaging can end up in food, study finds  –  The Guardian
• FDA finds surprisingly high levels of PFAS in certain foods – including chocolate cake  –  EDF Health

• Inside FDA’s ‘forever chemicals’ catastrophe  –  E&E News
• Chemical giants hid dangers of ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging  –  The Guardian

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - At least 3,000 more chemicals are in plastics — from food packaging to toys to medical devices — than previously estimated by environmental agencies, a report found, raising questions over pollution and consumer safety. More:

• Chemicals in plastics far more numerous than previous estimates, report says  –  Reuters
• State of the science of hazardous chemicals in plastic  –  PlastChem

The food and aquaculture sectors generate a huge amount of fish scale waste from processes such as preparation, canning, filleting, salting, and smoking. Disposal of fish scale waste in landfills may cause serious environmental pollution problems. Therefore, converting fish scale waste into functional materials could help to reduce environmental impact and generate economic benefits. More:

• Fish scale waste could remove dye pollution from water  –  Futurity
• Upcycling fish scales for water pollution control and encryption  –  NUS News
• Upcycling fish scales through heating for steganography and Rhodamine B adsorption application (Research article)

Two years ago, he was blindsided when the state of Michigan ordered him to shut down his farm, citing high levels of PFAS — or what are often referred to as toxic “forever chemicals” — in both his beef and soil. Grostic had been using biosolids, a treated byproduct from wastewater plants, to fertilize his crops, which he then fed his cattle. But what he thought was a cost-effective fertilizer, turned out to be laden with PFAS. More:

• This farmer's livelihood was ruined by PFAS-contaminated fertilizer that few Midwest states test for  –  Nebraska Public Media

• Michigan Biosolids PFAS-related information and links  –  Michigan.gov
• Our sewage often becomes fertilizer. Problem is, it's tainted with PFAS  –  Maine Public
• Michigan farmer sues auto supplier after PFAS taints cattle herd  –  MLive

• PFOA, PFOS, and Related PFAS Chemicals  –  American Cancer Society
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Toxicity and Human Health Review: Current State of Knowledge and Strategies for Informing Future Research (Research article)

• PFAS Strategic Roadmap- EPA’s Commitments to Action 2021—2024 (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• IPP PFAS Initiative  –  Michigan.gov
• PFAS use prohibitions  –  Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Firefighters are regarded as heroes because they often put themselves in harm’s way when responding to emergency calls. They are able to carry out heroic deeds, in large part, because of the safety shield provided by their protective equipment or “turnout” gear. However, a growing body of research suggests that the gear that protects firefighters could also be risking their health. More:

• A recent study shows increased PFAS risks to firefighters as their protective gear ages  –  NC News

• Wear and Tear May Cause Firefighter Gear to Release More ‘Forever Chemicals’  –  US NIST
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Firefighter Turnout Gear Textiles Exposed to Abrasion, Elevated Temperature, Laundering, or Weathering (download PDF)  –  US NIST
• A recent study shows increased PFAS risks to firefighters as their protective gear ages  –  NC Health News
• Another Pathway for Firefighter Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Firefighter Textiles (Research abstract)

• A turning point for firefighters: Navigating the transition to PFAS-free personal protective equipment  –  NC Health News
• Firefighters and supporters are pushing hard for PFAS-free turnout gear  –  NC Health News
• Toward the future of firefighter gear: Assessing fluorinated and non-fluorinated outer shells following simulated on-the-job exposures (Research article)