‘Forever chemicals’ found in non-stick pans and pizza boxes will cost £1.6 trillion to clean up
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The toxic substances are commonplace – and very hard to get rid of. Cleaning up pollution from commonplace ‘forever chemicals’ could exceed £1.6 trillion across the UK and Europe, according to new analysis. The toxic substances can be found almost everywhere, posing a major public health risk that is unavoidable for most.
![[Waterproof jackets commonly contain PFAS]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/14/12/iStock-1166363789.jpg)
Effectively tackling the rise of the chemicals would cost £84bn a year for the next 20 years, according to the findings of a year-long investigation by the Forever Lobbying Project. The international team comprised dozens of journalists and experts across 16 countries.
![[Volunteers collect water samples from discharge from a factory which manufactures PFAS, France, 2024]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/14/12/GettyImages-2147905428.jpg)
Technically called PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), forever chemicals are a family of over 10,000 human-made substances. They are only manufactured by a relatively small number of companies, but are widely used in everyday products and processes.
Forever chemicals can be found in nonstick pans, pizza boxes, cosmetics, waterproof fabric, greaseproof paper, and certain carpets and flooring. They are used for their heatproof, greaseproof and waterproof properties – but are also almost indestructible in any natural environment.
The ubiquity of these substances has caused them to become persistent in living organisms including humans. PFAs have been linked to infertility, cancers, immune system disruption, and other illnesses. They have been detected in drinking water across the UK, meaning they can be impossible to avoid.
There are also an increasing number of PFAS hotspots, the Forever Lobbying Project has uncovered. These include landfills, airports, sewage areas, and manufacturers and industrial users of PFAS. Due to their prevalance in foam used for firefighting, they will also often be found in areas where it has been used previously.
