Finding Forever Chemicals Wherever They’re Hiding

https://www.nist.gov/feature-stories/finding-forever-chemicals-wherever-theyre-hiding They’re called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, a group of thousands of compounds that contain a chemical bond between fluorine and carbon. That bond has proved to be one of the most stable and unbreakable known to chemistry — a fact baked into the common nickname “forever chemicals,” because once PFAS are created, they last a very long time. First manufactured in the 1940s, PFAS have seeped into our daily lives, and our bodies. In recent years, they have emerged as a serious public health concern. Scientists have reported evidence that certain PFAS, at high enough concentrations, may harm health by suppressing the immune system or causing cancers, obesity, thyroid problems and birth defects. How Do You Measure Forever Chemicals? https://www.nist.gov/how-do-you-measure-it/how-do-you-measure-forever-chemicals