"Since the 1940s, forever chemicals have been commonly used by manufacturers as a way to make things resistant to water, stains, and heat. Think food packaging, nonstick pans, water-repellant outdoor gear, and even period-proof underwear. They're also used to make much of the tech that we've come to rely on; one subclass of the chemical is used in lithium-ion battery electrolytes and binders."
"Technically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), they're called forever chemicals because of particularly strong molecular bonds that keep them from breaking down even in harsh conditions. It's a trait that also means they can linger in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years and potentially in the human body for several years. Most people in the US already have PFAS in their blood,"
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used since the 1940s to make materials resistant to water, stains, and heat. PFAS appear in food packaging, nonstick pans, water-repellent outdoor gear, period-proof underwear, and in technologies such as lithium-ion battery electrolytes and binders. There is growing concern that PFAS are ubiquitous in computer chip manufacturing as the industry resurges in the United States. PFAS resist degradation due to exceptionally strong molecular bonds, allowing them to persist in environments for hundreds to thousands of years and remain in human bodies for years. National CDC health surveys indicate most people in the United States already have PFAS in their blood. People are exposed through contaminated food and drinking water.
Read at The Verge
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