Follow the Money: The Podcast The corporate campaign to weaken Europe’s fight against forever chemicals
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Aug 12, 2025 Journalist and physicist Thomas Goorden dives into the alarming presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a dangerous forever chemical found in our food and water. He reveals how the chemical industry has downplayed TFA's risks, leading to regulatory failures in the EU. Goorden discusses the lobbying tactics that influence decision-making and undermine public safety, exposing a troubling trend of negligence and misinformation. The conversation also touches on the urgent need for informed action against the environmental apathy surrounding PFAS and climate change.
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How Goorden Entered PFAS Reporting
- Thomas Goorden recounts how he first encountered PFAS and became deeply involved after a 2021 Belgian scandal.
- His background spans activism, science and recent full-time investigative journalism on PFAS.
PFAS Cause Long-Term Biological Harm
- PFAS interfere with immunity and hormones and can bioaccumulate over time.
- They are not acutely toxic but pose long-term health risks due to persistence and bodily buildup.
Regulation Was Diluted Not Enforced
- The EU diluted drinking-water rules by excluding high TFA readings instead of addressing their source.
- The Commission introduced industry-derived calculations and erased guidance to make the TFA issue disappear.
