By Sami Grover, Treehugger, July 20, 2021
When fellow Treehugger Lloyd wrote about so-called "forever chemicals"—or perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—and their widespread use in architecture, several commenters zeroed in on how hard it is for individuals to avoid these substances. After all, they are everywhere: PFAS are a class of 9,000 compounds that are found in fracking wells, food packaging, cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, and even stain protectors. And, as the name suggests, they last a ridiculously long time—they are resistant to degrading and accumulate in the environment and humans.
Specifically, a commenter called ridahoan suggested only government-level interventions could really move the needle toward reform:
“One way [that] this will change after the Feds determine PFAS as hazardous substances (and as a class of the thousands of PFAS out there rather than individually, I hope), is that landfills will then be required to separate these hazardous materials from the waste stream. That means much higher disposal costs when these are used.”
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