EU Considers Banning ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Consumer Products

‘This is something that is important for us human beings, of course, but also for the environment,’ the EU’s environment chief, Jessika Roswall, said.

Equipment used to test for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS, in drinking water at Trident Laboratories in Holland, Mich., on June 18, 2018. Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP

EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall says the European Commission is considering banning PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in consumer products.

PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, do not break down in the environment, raising concerns about the consequences of them building up in ecosystems, drinking water, and the human body.