Present in our daily lives since the 1950s, PFAS, often referred to as "forever chemicals", have massively invaded the environment and our bodies. On a European scale, the contamination is alarming: tens of millions of citizens are exposed to it, multiplying the health (cancers, lowered immunity) and ecological risks. While the cost of decontamination promises to be staggering, the European Union is attempting to regulate these substances. But faced with legislative slowness, isn't it already too late to act?
Contents
What are PFAS? Since when have they been used? What are they used for?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, are chemical substances whose specific properties are utilized in many everyday products1 . These chemical substances began to be used in the 1950s in many consumer products for their non-stick, waterproofing, and high-heat resistant properties. Thus, they can be found almost everywhere in our homes: food packaging, kitchen utensils, iron soleplates, as well as in certain household products. PFAS are often referred to as "forever chemicals" due to their low capacity to degrade in the environment. Because of their persistence, these chemical substances are present in all types of environments: water, air, soil, and the food chain. Consequently, PFAS are found in our diet, particularly in seafood, meat, fruit, eggs, but also in water. Furthermore, indoor and outdoor air and soil dust are potential sources of exposure, even if their impact is relatively less significant.
Which countries are the most affected by PFAS?
France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, as well as the Netherlands are the European countries most affected by PFAS contamination. Italy, Czechia, Hungary, and Latvia are also presumed to be contaminated by these chemical substances2. In these countries, the map of forever chemicals also shows detected contaminations. For example, the Venetian region in Italy reports more than twenty detected contaminations. For more information, you can visit the interactive map created by the newspaper Le Monde and seventeen partners of the international collaborative investigation "Forever Pollution Project". On a European scale, the study highlights more than 2,100 "hot spots," that is to say, sites where the PFAS concentration exceeds the danger thresholds for human health (i.e., 100 ng/l)3.
At what cost?
The cost of water decontamination according to a Commission study is estimated at 1,700 billion euros. According to the study, nearly one in six Europeans, or 76.5 million people4, is likely to have high levels of contamination. Another HBM4EU (European Human Biomonitoring Initiative) study dating from 2022 sounded the alarm to highlight the excessive concentrations found in the blood of more than 14% of European teenagers. This exposure is, moreover, not without danger to human health.
What are the risks to human health?
High exposure to PFAS could lead to a decrease in the immune response to vaccination as well as an imbalance of lipids in the blood such as cholesterol. Furthermore, this substance could have adverse effects on the endocrine system, fertility, and fetal development, and could increase the risk of cancers. Additionally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) in December 2023 as "carcinogenic to humans" in addition to multiple symptoms and risks such as:
- Decreased immune response to vaccination
- Imbalance of blood lipids such as cholesterol
- Lower birth weight
- Disruption of the endocrine system and fertility
- Increased risk of cancers
What about the environment?
PFAS are dangerous for the environment because they cause contamination of soil, air, and water, and end up directly in the food chain. Furthermore, they contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer and the acceleration of global warming.
- Contamination of soil, air, water
- Depletion of the ozone layer
- Contribution to global warming
How are PFAS regulated?
At the international level The Stockholm Convention, an international agreement adopted in 2001, aims to regulate certain persistent organic pollutants. This agreement regulates several compounds of the PFAS family at the global level1. It also restricts the use of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) to certain specific uses such as photo-imaging or etching agents for semiconductors. Since 2020, it has been forbidden to import, export, produce, or use PFOA, except for specific exemptions. At the European level The European Union has implemented certain regulations to extend the Stockholm Convention to other substances in the perfluorinated family. For example, the REACH regulation 1907/2006 ensures the safety of chemical products used within the EU. It also establishes clear and harmonized rules at the European level for placing chemical substances on the market5. Furthermore, the European Directive 2020/2184 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (DWD) introduced monitoring of PFAS in drinking water. Thus, the authorized threshold is set at 0.10 µg/L. In addition, the European Commission has proposed a series of recommendations to encourage Member States to increase the monitoring of PFAS content in food from 2022 to 2025.
Is it already too late?
A "universal restriction" proposal was submitted in 2022 by five countries, namely Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands. This proposal is currently being reviewed by the European Union. Numerous scientific committees have also been set up by the Commission to carry out preparatory work and assess the risks. Nevertheless, the omnipresence of these substances in a vast number of foods and consumer goods slows down the possibility of legislation at the European scale. The slowness of EU legislative procedures only aggravates the environmental and health risk for the 450 million Europeans. The lack of powerful and effective actions to tackle this huge challenge contrasts with the EU's environmental policy in the international arena.
References
- Editor (2024) PFAS : des substances chimiques très persistantes. Available at: https://www.anses.fr/fr/content/pfas-substances-chimiques-persistantes (Accessed 30/03/2026).
- Gary Dagorn; Raphaëlle Aubert; Stéphane Horel; Luc Martinon; Thomas Steffen (2023) PFAS : explorez la carte d’Europe de la contamination par les « polluants éternels ». Available at: https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2023/02/23/polluants-eternels-explorezla-carte-d-europe-de-la-contamination-par-les-pfas_6162942_4355770.html (Accessed 30/03/2026).
- Editor (2026) Per et polyfluoroalkylées (PFAS) : ce qu’il faut savoir. Available at: https://www.iledefrance.ars.sante.fr/et-polyfluoroalkylees-pfas-ce-quil-faut-savoir (Accessed 30/03/2026).
- Stéphane Horel; Raphaëlle Aubert (2026) Les PFAS pourraient fortement contaminer plus de 75 millions d’Européens et coûter jusqu’à 1 700 milliards d’euros à l’UE. Available at: https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2026/01/29/pfas-le-cout-de-la-pollution-dans-lunion-europeenne-pourrait-atteindre-1-700-milliards-d-euros_6664570_3244.html (Accessed 30/03/2026).
- Cyril Fourneris (2026) L’Europe peut-elle mettre fin aux « produits chimiques éternels » ?. Available at: https://fr.euronews.com/2026/01/28/se-debarrasser-des-pfas-leurope-peut-elle-mettre-fin-aux-produits-chimiques-eternels (Accessed 30/03/2026).
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