You might have heard of ‘forever chemicals’ or PFAS — a synthetic chemical found in certain legacy firefighting foams, non-stick pans, carpets, clothes and stain- or water-resistant materials and paints.

PFAS stands for “per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances”.

These molecules, made up of chains of carbon and fluorine atoms, are nicknamed forever chemicals because they don’t degrade in our bodies.

There is global concern about PFAS because they have been used widely, are persistent in the environment and accumulate in our bodies over time.