You bring home a non-stick cookware, thinking to ease the burden of cleaning the grease later, or order a pizza or a ready-made cake, neatly packaged in a box, to satisfy your craving or to celebrate your birthday. So far, so good. But did you know that, in the process, you are also bringing home something that researchers have linked to an increased rate of obesity, thyroid, hormonal interference, birth defects, higher cholesterol, liver damage, infertility and even cancer?
The culprit is a group of invisible, ubiquitous chemicals called per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) that have earned the moniker ‘forever chemicals’ as they don’t degrade naturally and take an extremely long time to break down. They have virtually become all pervasive and immortal in a way.
What are they?
PFAS are a large chemical family of over 10,000 highly persistent chemicals. They are used in a wide range of consumer products because of their grease- and water-repelling properties.
While they are invisible to the naked eye, they have permeated almost every aspect of our existence. It’s important to
understand their harmful effects, how to minimise the exposure, avert their adverse impact and, most importantly, how to remove the ‘forever’ from these chemicals.
Forever chemicals have perlocated in water, are found in bandages, cosmetic products (particularly waterproof mascara, foundation, sunscreen, hair conditioner), non-stick cookware (teflon and other non-stick coatings) outdoor water-resistant clothing, carpets, mattresses, tablecloths, stain-proof fabric and sofas, foams that fight fires, food packaging (takeaway containers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, ready-made cake boxes), baking paper and moulds, muffin tins, foils, cups, plates, dental floss and so on.
Over the years, they have seeped into the soil and groundwater, getting into our food chain and drinking water in the process, and in various consumer products, becoming omnipresent. In humans, they have been frequently reported to be found in urine, blood serum and breast milk and other biological samples worldwide. They have also not left the wildlife behind — researchers have found exceptionally high concentrations across numerous species of birds, mammals and marine life, affecting even the endangered polar bear in the Arctic.
The list also includes menstruation products like tampons and sanitary pads, contact lenses, guitar strings, hand sanitisers, mobile phones (screen coatings with fingerprint-resistant fluoropolymers), pharmaceutical packaging, piano tuning lubricants, pesticides, and even water treatment and purification. The list possibly doesn’t end here.
You can be exposed to forever chemicals even through drinking water (PFAS can contaminate drinking water sources, particularly near industrial sites, military bases, and areas where firefighting foam is used), food (consumption of food grown in PFAS-contaminated soil or water), and the use of PFAS-containing food packaging leading to ingestion, household dust (PFAS in household products can contribute to dust that people can inhale or ingest), consumer products (direct contact with items such as non-stick cookware, water-resistant clothing, and certain cosmetics), and occupational exposure (workers in industries that produce or use PFAS may be exposed to higher levels).
Serious effects
PFAS have been found to be toxic to both humans and wildlife. According to medical experts, two of the most studied chemicals in the PFAS family, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), are linked to an increased rate of interference with the hormonal system (known as endocrine disruptors), impacting the reproductive system and the development of the foetus, affecting the immune system linked with reduced responses to vaccines in children, causing development of certain cancers like kidney and testicular, and obesity.
“PFAS are a serious health concern in the modern world. The fact that they are so extensively distributed in nature and even in our water that it is very difficult to regulate it,” says Dr Vikram Jeet Singh, senior consultant in internal medicine at Aakash Healthcare in Delhi. “Due to these concerns, there is growing regulatory and scientific attention on reducing PFAS exposure and finding safer alternatives,” says Dr Shubham Vatsya, director, gastroenterology and hepatobiliary sciences, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. There are thousands of PFAS currently in use that don’t have proper toxicological data owing to lack of research. Because of their perseverance and high mobility and serious health concerns, several countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the European Union, the United States and New Zealand have been mulling over a blanket ban as well as partial ban of certain chemicals in the PFAS group. Earlier this year, the US even imposed its first nationwide limits on several harmful chemicals found in tap water across the country. New Zealand has announced a ban on PFAS in cosmetic products from December 31, 2026, being one of the first countries to protect consumers and environment from chemicals. PK Joshi, professor at the School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, however, notes that minimising the contamination by forever chemicals is challenging because of their persistence and widespread presence in the environment.
Staying safe
Medical experts recommend avoiding products known to contain PFAS such as non-stick cookware, microwave popcorn bags, etc, opting for home-cooked meals and choosing fresh, locally sourced produce instead of fast food and takeaways and limiting the consumption of processed and packaged foods. They suggest checking for PFAS or perfluorochemical (PFC)-free labels on products, avoiding products containing chemicals with ‘fluoro’ or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) – commonly known by its trade name teflon – in their name, avoiding dental floss with PTFE coatings, using eco-friendly cleaning products, and avoiding products with PFAS-based chemicals in general.
Noting that it’s too hard for a common person to reduce exposure, Dr Hemalata Arora, senior consultant of internal medicine at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai, says, “You just have to know which industries or products cause these things more commonly and avoid them. For instance, avoid nonstick, use more stainless steel, traditional iron vessels, less plastic and more glass and metal that is not coated or treated.”
For drinking water, Dr Arora puts the onus on government initiatives to check for such contamination. “You obviously cannot remove what you’re drinking in your water. It is more of a governmental initiative to figure out what water is going for public consumption and see how best to remove it,” she says.
“I think there are certain chemical and filtration processes which can remove them. They have to be actively done – just like how we check for chloroform, fluoride and other products, she explains, adding that industries have to change the way they produce medical grade products.
Talking about solutions, Joshi of JNU says the foremost is stringent regulation and legislation on production, use, and disposal of PFAS by establishing clean-up standards for contaminated sites. “Prioritising the research and development efforts to phase out and search for substitution is a must. Similarly, efforts should be made in developing and implementing effective treatment technologies,” he adds.
Joshi further suggests methods like activated carbon filtration, ion exchange, and advanced oxidation processes that can help remove them from contaminated media. There is a need for education and awareness of public, industries, and policymakers about such risks, and regular monitoring and surveillance programmes of concentration in environmental media, food, and human populations, he adds.
Meanwhile, Jessica Ray, professor of civil and environmental engineering, University of Washington, in a recent media report, highlighted that researchers are looking into what’s called green chemistry — designing chemicals that behave similarly to PFAS but aren’t as toxic and will break down in the environment.
Similarly, a Danish study earlier this year found that a medication for high cholesterol can drastically cut forever chemicals in the blood. However, the drug has not been found suitable for widespread usage yet because of its side effects, requiring more research to explore its potential effect on chronic health conditions.