When a person hears the term "forever chemicals," it is unlikely that their immediate reaction is, "Yum! I want that inside my body!" Yet these so-called forever chemicals — technically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as chemicals like bisphenols— are absolutely everywhere. It is a statistical certainty that a person reading this article has forever chemicals in their bloodstream, and perhaps in other tissues.
Substances like PFAS and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) are known as forever chemicals because they do not break down either in the natural environment or in our own bodies. It is this very versatility that makes them so popular among businesses; smear some forever chemicals on a cooking pan and suddenly you have a non-stick pan. Put them on a fabric and perhaps your shirt will be stain-proof.
Although some regulators may want to monitor these chemicals to learn about their possible health effects, one can bypass them through a process known as regrettable substitution: When one chemical is banned, scientists simply develop a slightly different molecule that performs the same basic function but has not been banned.
Through this process, it is now an overwhelming likelihood that products you use have forever chemicals like PFAS inside them. PFAS have been linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes liver disease, increased risks of kidney and testicular cancer and even fertility problems. In the words of Dr. Sara Brosché, Science Advisor with the International Pollutants Elimination Network, the PFAS in our environment and bodies could create a future not dissimilar to dystopian science fiction like "The Handmaid's Tale."
"PFAS are related to issues around fertility and endocrine disruption," Brosché said. She noted that "The Handmaid's Tale" involves a fertility crisis partially caused by environmental pollution that results in a patriarchal and authoritarian society. "Not the whole scenario — obviously that has a lot of other implications — but just looking at the premise of, what if we cannot reproduce anymore?"
Here are six of the common products that contain PFAS or other forever chemicals.
