PFAS
initialism
A large family of synthetic chemicals used to make products resist water, grease, stains and heat. Many persist in the environment and the body, which is why they are known as ‘forever chemicals’.
Also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, forever chemicals
PFAS is the collective name for thousands of synthetic chemicals used because they resist water, grease, stains and heat. The useful nickname is ‘forever chemicals’, which tells you the important part before the acronym has finished: many of them persist for a very long time in the environment, and some can accumulate in people and animals.
They have been used in products including firefighting foams, coatings, textiles and grease-resistant packaging. Certain PFAS exposures have been associated with immune, developmental, liver and cancer risks. The family is large, the compounds are not identical, and the science should not be flattened into one frightening sentence.
The term belongs near the book’s environmental questions because invisible convenience still has a source, a pathway and a place where the residue ends up. ‘Away’ remains one of our least convincing locations.
See also Hyperscale