Forever Chemicals
by William, Charlie & Meghan
What are forever chemicals?
Forever chemicals stay in your body for a long time. Another term for these chemicals is PFAS (which stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These chemicals have carbon and fluorine bonds that are strong and do not break down easily. There are reports that the half-life (how long it takes for the level to go down by half) of these chemicals in the body is between 2-35 years. In your body, they can build up in your fat. These chemicals are found in many things including food packaging, water, stain-resistant carpets, and non-stick pans.
How do they get into your body?
There are many ways forever chemicals get in your body. Some examples are breathing them in as well as eating or drinking food or water with the chemicals. Drinking water can have PFAS in it when the water source is close to places like factories that make products containing PFAS.
Why are people concerned about forever chemicals?
People are concerned because forever chemicals can lead to medical concerns. Some medical concerns related to forever chemicals are kidney cancer, problems in pregnancy, lower response to vaccines, and increased cholesterol levels.
What steps are being taken to reduce PFAS in the environment?
In the last couple years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made national recommendations making limits on the allowed levels of six types of PFAS in drinking water. One challenge to the efforts to reduce PFAS in drinking water and food is that many different government groups regulate PFAS. For example, the EPA overlooks drinking water from public sources. Other groups involved in overseeing PFAS exposure include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which monitors bottled water, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which helps monitor PFAS in food.
Sources
Anderko L, Pennea E, Cardon MK, McDermott-Levy R, Mutic A. Forever Chemicals (PFAS): An Overview for Maternity and Pediatric Health Care Professionals. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2025 May-Jun 01;50(3):133-140.
Braun JM. Enhancing Regulations to Reduce Exposure to PFAS - Federal Action on "Forever Chemicals". N Engl J Med. 2023 May 25;388(21):1924-1926.
Sha B, Johansson JH, Salter ME, Blichner SM, Cousins IT. Constraining global transport of perfluoroalkyl acids on sea spray aerosol using field measurements. Sci Adv. 2024 Apr 5;10(14):eadl1026.
