Do we need to worry about forever chemicals? - Expert Q&A - Science Media Centre

Australia launches record $1.4B lawsuit against 3M over ‘forever chemicals’ at defense bases

MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia is suing U.S. conglomerate 3M for more than 2 billion Australian dollars ($1.4 billion) over so-called “forever chemical” contamination from firefighting foam at defense bases, the government said on Thursday. The government’s largest-ever claim for compensation relates to contamination with per- and polyfluoroaklyl substances, known as PFAS, at 28 bases. Human-made PFAS are commonly referred to as “forever chemi…

Do we need to worry about forever chemicals? - Expert Q&A - Science Media Centre

In the largest legal claim ever brought by the Australian government, a $2 billion lawsuit has been launched over PFAS, known as ‘forever chemicals’, which are still used in many everyday products in NZ and worldwide. These human-made chemicals don’t break down easily and so can build up in the body and environment over time. This has led to concerns about potential health and environmental impacts. The Science Media Centre asked experts how wor…