PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance), also referred to as "forever chemicals," are a group of thousands of synthetic chemicals that are extremely resistant to degradation and can remain in the environment, including in the soil, surface water and ground water, for centuries or millennia. They have even been found in rain and in remote areas. This persistence is due to their extremely strong carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest among organic chemicals.
PFAS are produced on a massive scale (thousands of metric tons annually) and used in a vast array of consumer and industrial applications, including non-stick cookware, food packaging, waterproof fabrics, firefighting foam, and cosmetics.
PFAS can accumulate in the bodies of humans and wildlife, as they are not easily broken down or excreted. Exposure to them has been linked to various health issues, including cancer, reproductive problems, weakened immunity, liver function, metabolic effects, kidney disease and endocrine disruption.
Progress has been made on developing low cost alternatives for PFAS for use in some, but not all, products and industries. Also, several countries, mainly European, as well as some U.S. states have taken significant steps to restrict or phase out PFAS, mainly in applications where good substitutes are not available. Although several methods exist for removing PFAS from soil and water, each has some disadvantages, including high costs and lack of suitability for large volume decontamination.
PFAS production is dominated by only about a dozen companies. It is apparently profitable for them, but only because they do not bear the large externalized costs to public health and of environmental cleanup. Such costs, which some sources estimate to already greatly exceed the economic benefits of PFAS production, will continue to increase as these chemicals continue to accumulate in the environment and in the tissues of humans and other organisms.