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https://theconversation.com/australia-has-banned-3-forever-chemicals-but-europe-wants-to-ban-all-14-000-as-a-precaution-262802>
"Last month, Australia’s ban on the import, use and manufacture of three types
of “forever chemical” came into effect. These chemicals – PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS
– have long lifespans and resist breaking down. They’re considered harmful due
to their ability to build up inside living organisms and their toxicity. In
2023, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency declared PFOA to be a human
carcinogen (cancer-causing agent), and PFOS a potential carcinogen.
But these three chemicals are just a drop in the ocean. There are now more than
14,000 types of forever chemicals, known formally as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl
chemicals, or PFAS for short. In response to public concern, the European Union
has proposed to restrict all types of PFAS by 2030.
This approach may seem extreme. But the cost of cleaning up highly polluted
PFAS sites and research on emerging harms shows the value. Phasing out the
entire class could avoid still worse chemical pollution in years to come.
Australia’s ban on the three most concerning chemicals is positive. But it’s
slow. Authorities wait until new evidence of harm emerges for specific
chemicals. This risk-based approach leaves the door wide open for thousands of
other PFAS chemicals – and all other industrial chemicals being developed at
the staggering rate of 1.4 per second."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
