PFOA has been linked to six diseases, so that is high cholesterol, ulcerative, colitis and thyroid disease. They can disrupt hormones and development because they move around in the environment. And if you're higher up the food chain, when you eat your prey, you're going to get a really heavy dose.
Madeleine Finlay speaks to environmental journalist Rachel Salvidge about PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals’, which have been found at high levels at thousands of sites across the UK and Europe. Rachel explains what they are, how harmful they can be, and what can be done to mitigate their effects. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod