The non-stick frying pan in your kitchen, used in daily household chores, may have been a domestic miracle for its one-touch, no scrubbing or sticking qualities, but the chemicals responsible for this convenience are the trigger of one of the biggest environmental, health, and industrial reckonings of our time. Chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have earned a sinister name, ‘forever chemicals’, a vast family of more than 14,000 synthetic compounds used since the 1940s to make products that resist heat, water, and oil.
PFAS’ unique carbon-fluorine bonds, among the strongest in organic chemistry, make them virtually indestructible, and are used in everything from non-stick cookware and waterproof jackets to semiconductors, batteries and cosmetics.
“It’s their indestructibility that makes them both useful and dangerous. PFAS resist heat, oil, and water. That’s why they’re in everything from Teflon-coated pans to medical devices. But once discarded, they don’t decompose. They end up contaminating air, water, and soil,” says Dr Deepak Asthana, assistant professor of chemistry at Ashoka University in Sonipat, Haryana.
While the global push to phase out ‘forever chemicals’ gears up, achieving a world completely free of PFAS is likely impossible due to its widespread distribution. But in this shift lies the promise and responsibility of a cleaner future. So can achieving a world completely PFAS-free be possible?
Scientists have found traces of chemicals in rainwater, polar ice, cosmetic products such as makeup powders and mascaras, and even human blood. Studies have also linked long-term exposure to cancer, hormonal disorders, infertility, and developmental problems. It won’t be wrong to say that globally, PFAS contamination has become near-ubiquitous, and the scale and severity of contamination have already affected industries.
In England and Wales, the Drinking Water Inspectorate recently flagged PFAS contamination in hundreds of untreated water sources, including reservoirs, boreholes, and treatment works, potentially serving more than six million people. Experts believe the true figure is far higher, as population data was incomplete.
Similarly, a 2023 US Geological Survey report found that over 45% of America’s tap water is contaminated with measurable PFAS levels. Research linking PFAS exposure to health issues, including liver damage, lower birth weights and testicular cancer, is raising litigation risks for companies, Jefferies analysts said in a note this year. While studies do not yet determine whether these changes are harmful or beneficial, they raise fresh concerns about how these chemicals might subtly influence biology long before birth.
Regulatory push
Governments are finally moving from awareness to action. In April 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency introduced the first-ever nationwide limits for six PFAS in drinking water for the first time, setting maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in drinking water. These six chemicals are—Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS).
The rules set some of the world’s strictest thresholds, effectively forcing water utilities and manufacturers to invest in costly cleanup technologies. Europe is following suit. The European Union plans a blanket ban on PFAS in consumer products from 2026, with certain exemptions for essential industrial uses. “It’s important for people, for the environment, and also for the industry, so they know how to phase PFAS out,” EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall was quoted as saying in media reports.
Countries like Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden have led the charge, proposing the world’s broadest restrictions on PFAS — potentially covering all 14,000 types. Denmark is restricting PFAS in consumer products, with a ban on the sale and import of PFAS-containing clothing, footwear, and waterproofing agents taking effect next year in July. This means products with a total fluorine content of 50 mg/kg or more will be prohibited. Companies have until January 1, 2027, to sell any remaining stock. The ban applies to private-use products, with some exemptions for specific personal protective equipment (PPE) and secondhand items.
France has gone a step further, with a bill to ban the manufacture, import, and marketing of PFAS-containing products, including cosmetics, soon. Meanwhile, Australia recently banned three of the most notorious PFAS compounds—PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS—all of which the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified as carcinogenic or potentially carcinogenic.
Early steps, big challenges
The global measures are just scratching the surface. As Europe edges toward a ban and the US tightens its rules, India stands at a crossroads between industrial dependency and sustainable leadership. The world may never be completely PFAS-free, but the global push to phase out forever chemicals is important. And in that shift lies the promise and responsibility of a cleaner future.
There are thousands of PFAS variants, and banning them one by one is futile, say experts. “We need comprehensive restrictions, just like the EU is proposing, or the contamination cycle will continue,” adds Asthana.
In India, PFAS use remains largely unregulated. The chemicals are vital in sectors such as textiles, electronics, and automotive manufacturing, where their durability and resistance are prized. Experts also warn that this dependence could turn into a liability. “India is at an early stage in addressing this challenge. We currently lack comprehensive regulatory standards, monitoring mechanisms, and public health data on PFAS exposure. This is not just a policy gap—it’s a scientific and societal one,” says Professor Thalappil Pradeep, Institute Professor & Deepak Parekh Institute Chair Professor & Professor In-charge, International Centre for Clean Water, IIT Madras.
Through the International Centre for Clean Water at IIT Madras, Pradeep’s team is developing scalable purification technologies that can remove complex pollutants, including PFAS, from water. In collaboration with companies like Eureka Forbes, they are validating new filtration systems that could bring cutting-edge purification to Indian households and industries. “The conversation around PFAS must shift from reactive control to proactive prevention. “India has the scientific capability to lead this transition, what’s needed now is the collective will to act before the invisible becomes inevitable,” Pradeep emphasises.
Amit Tandon, founder & CEO of PolyCycl, a company specialising in advanced chemical recycling technologies that enable a plastic-to-plastic circular economy, says, “A ban, by itself, is not expected to create new risks; the concern lies in how industries transition away from PFAS. If substitute materials are not properly evaluated, there is a possibility of shifting to alternatives with their own environmental or toxicological issues. Well-designed phase-outs typically include scientific validation of replacement chemistries, which helps minimise unintended consequences.”
PolyCycl’s technology platform is designed for the chemical recycling of polyolefin-rich plastic waste (such as single-use packaging plastics, grocery bags, etc) through continuous pyrolysis and downstream purification of generated hydrocarbon oils.
However, getting rid of PFAS is easier said than done. Because they are so stable, conventional wastewater treatment methods don’t work. Instead, companies and researchers are turning to destruction technologies. One approach is high-temperature incineration, which can break PFAS down completely but only at extremely high temperatures, producing hydrogen fluoride gas that must then be captured and neutralised. “You can destroy PFAS, but you risk releasing other toxic byproducts in the process. It’s an engineering dilemma,” says Dr Asthana.
However, in October 2025, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released a draft notification proposing a ban on PFAS and Bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials. The draft, which proposes amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, would ban the use of PFAS entirely and require that materials made from polycarbonate and epoxy resins be free of industrial chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA) and its derivatives.
BPA is used to make certain plastics and resins, particularly polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, found in items like shatter-resistant eyeglasses, baby bottles, and food and beverage containers, and can leach into food and drinks, especially when heated.
Meanwhile, the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) of the Ministry of Textiles has introduced India’s first scientific model for dignified recycling of national flags and defence-grade fibres. The project ensures that the tricolour’s fabric and structural integrity are either preserved or responsibly repurposed without compromising its dignity. NTTM has supported a transformative project that is reshaping sustainability in the technical textiles sector.
The project, which led to the establishment of the Atal Centre of Textile Recycling and Sustainability under IIT Delhi at Panipat, has unified technology, innovation, and national purpose through two pioneering initiatives—the National Flag Recycling Initiative and the Aramid Fibre Recycling Programme.
Work in progress
A new generation of startups is working on cleaner alternatives. OnVector, based in Pennsylvania, uses plasma reactors, ionised gases, to split PFAS molecules. Aquagga, a Washington-based company, employs hydrothermal alkaline processes that work at lower temperatures and pressures. In North Carolina, Invicta Water uses ultraviolet light and boron nitride nanoparticles to break PFAS bonds. Swiss startup Oxyle is working to clear water polluted with PFAS with a reported pipeline of around 50 potential customers looking to install their technology. The company has set itself a target of treating 100 million cubic litres of contaminated water in the next five years.
Meanwhile, two independent research teams—one, including researchers from Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Boulder, and another, led by scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China and Nanjing Tech University—recently reported chemical catalysts that can mineralise PFAS at room temperature using light.
These breakthroughs are early, but they point toward a possible future in which forever chemicals could finally be destroyed rather than merely contained.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi for their pioneering work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—crystalline materials capable of trapping and breaking down pollutants like PFAS and carbon dioxide. “Metal-organic frameworks have enormous potential. They bring previously unforeseen opportunities for custom-made materials that can capture and transform environmental pollutants,” says Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel committee.
For many in the scientific community, the award underscores how deeply the PFAS crisis has entered the mainstream, not just as an environmental challenge, but as a frontier for innovation.
For global corporations, PFAS are fast becoming a compliance and reputation risk. The chemicals have seeped into the supply chains of cosmetics, electronics, packaging, and defence manufacturing — industries collectively worth trillions.
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) in the US mandates a federal safety assessment of PFAS in beauty products in 2025, while individual states like California, Colorado, Maryland, and Minnesota have already banned PFAS in cosmetics from January 2025. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is moving to include PFAS in its REACH regulation, which restricts hazardous substances across the EU.
Testing companies such as SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance) are seeing growing demand for PFAS testing and certification. Their laboratories now evaluate everything from lipstick to firefighting foam for trace levels of PFAS, as brands rush to label products ‘PFAS-free’.
Yet the transition is complex. “PFAS are deeply integrated into global manufacturing. Replacing them means redesigning materials, reformulating products, and rethinking supply chains. It’s not just a chemistry problem—it’s an economic one,” notes Dr Asthana.
The India opportunity
For India, the PFAS moment could be both a warning and an opportunity. While the country currently lacks stringent PFAS regulation, its emerging green economy offers space for innovation. In an article titled ‘PFAS contamination in key Indian states: A critical review of environmental impacts, regulatory challenges and predictive exposure’ in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances published in 2025, findings reveal critical challenges such as regulatory gaps, inadequate monitoring, and technological barriers that hinder India’s ability to address PFAS contamination effectively. Comparing guideline limits globally, including those of the United States and European Union, India’s regulatory framework remains in its early stages, underscoring the need for systematic monitoring and robust remediation strategies.
According to a 2025 report by Deloitte India and the Rainmatter Foundation, investment in climate-friendly technologies could add over 5 million jobs and generate $4 trillion in annual economic output by 2030. Green manufacturing, sustainable materials, and pollution control technologies could form a large part of that growth.
“India’s climate response must evolve from scattered initiatives to a shared mission that rewires how we build, invest, and innovate. This is not about doing more projects, it’s about redesigning the core, making resilience the default setting for growth,” says Ashwin Jacob, partner at Deloitte India.
Deloitte’s Citizen Climate Survey 2025 found that 86% of Indians report experiencing tangible effects of climate change, with one-third facing significant disruptions to health and livelihoods. While many individuals are adapting—44% practise waste segregation, 40% reduce electricity or water use, and 30% cut single-use plastics—22% remain inactive, citing limited awareness, lack of financial incentives, or doubts about individual impact.
Prashanth Nutula, partner, Deloitte India, feels, “Unlocking the promise of green job creation rests on the ability to move beyond fragmented climate efforts and work in unison. When policymakers, corporates and civil society groups channel their investments and innovations into a shared vision for climate action, the benefits ripple far beyond economic opportunity, strengthening community resilience and fostering new livelihoods.”
That philosophy applies to PFAS: a complex, invisible challenge demanding coordinated action between government, science, and business.
The road ahead
In the long term, the PFAS crisis could reshape industries in the same way that leaded gasoline, asbestos, and single-use plastics did. The difference this time is the scale. PFAS are embedded in global trade and production to an unprecedented degree.
The European Chemicals Agency estimates that removing PFAS from products could cost businesses billions of euros, but the cost of inaction in health, litigation, and environmental cleanup will be far higher. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned that without global coordination, PFAS pollution could become ‘virtually irreversible’ within decades.
For India, experts say the time to act is now. “We can’t stop progress, but we must find smarter alternatives. Just as we replaced plastic cups with paper, we must innovate our way out of the PFAS problem — through science that’s strong yet sustainable,” says Dr Asthana.
Professor Pradeep agrees. “We must establish a national framework that combines research, regulation, and awareness before contamination becomes irreversible. India has the capability to lead if we act early,” he adds.
RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE
- Use of Perfluorooctanoic acid banned since 2019, as per UNEP-UN Environment Programme
- Bans on PFAS in paper-based food packaging passed in California, New York in US; California planning broader phase-out by 2028
- European Commission restricting sub-group of PFAS in consumer textiles, pizza boxes, some cosmetics; use of PFAS in school uniforms also being considered for ban
- EU plans broad ban on PFAS in consumer products, exemptions for essential uses; considering more universal restriction on almost all uses
- France passes Bill to ban production & sale of products containing PFAS effective January 2026
14,000 synthetic compounds comprise ‘forever chemicals’, used mainly to make products that resist heat, water, and oil
45% of America’s tap water contaminated with measurable PFAs levels, as per a 2023 US Geological Survey report
17,000 sites found contaminated by PFAS in Europe and the UK in 2023, including 2,100 at dangerous levels
81.5% of samples of cereal products across 16 European countries found with high levels of TFA, a forever chemical, as per a recent study
12.5 mn people live in communities with drinking water contaminated with PFAS in Europe
