PFAS

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PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are also known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily in nature and are extremely difficult to collect or dispose of.

These chemicals appeared in the late 1940s and quickly became popular due to their water-repellent properties. They were added to cookware (like Teflon pans), toys, cosmetics, toilet paper, tape, clothing, and many other products.

Companies involved in PFAS production hid for decades the harmful effects these substances have on human and animal health. PFAS exposure has been linked to cancer, infertility, birth defects, and many other diseases. At the turn of the century, lawyer Robert Bilott began a legal battle against one of these companies in the U.S. — DuPont. As a result, he created a landmark case for protecting human health and the environment, which continues to influence similar fights today. You can feel the weight of this story in the 2019 film “Dark Waters.”

Even though the dangers of PFAS have been known for about 25 years, their production and use continue. In the European Union, a proposal for a complete ban was only introduced in 2023 (although PFOA — the compound Bilott fought against — is already banned). That same year, the “Forever Pollution Project” created a map showing the scale of PFAS contamination across Europe. The image above shows a section of the map for Valencia: 🔴 marks known contamination sites, and 🔵 marks suspected ones. You can explore the full map (and maybe even choose a cleaner place to live) [here].

Of course, the chemical and plastics industries have launched lobbying and disinformation campaigns to prevent a PFAS ban, citing job losses and economic instability — as if mass cancer and infertility wouldn’t cause the same. The Forever Pollution Project also exposes these lobbying efforts, which you can read about [here].

Today, around 10,000 PFAS compounds are known, but only one is banned. Another 20 must currently be monitored by local water authorities in Spain. The EU debate on banning PFAS is still ongoing.

You can learn more about PFAS in the 2018 documentary “The Devil We Know.”