Some companies have decided just to phase it out anyway. McDonald said they would remove it from their food packaging. 3M, which is one of the biggest producers, made an announcement recently that they're planning to exit the PFAS market altogether. If we don't do something now, like regulate, we're really going to be hit with it when we actually understand the effects of these chemicals better once they've continued to build up.
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