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.
When It Comes to PFAS, Caution Is Wise
Since the 1950s, PFAS chemicals have been widely used in industrial products due to their usefulness in making products nonstick or resistant to water or fire.
The problem is, these forever chemicals are highly persistent. There’s little ability to reverse harm from exposure.
Some of these chemicals may not be harmful. But they often haven’t been tested to find out. This is why the EU is using the precautionary principle: if in doubt, act cautiously to avoid potentially large harms. A total ban would avoid “regrettable substitution”, where banned chemicals are quickly replaced by a slightly different variant.
To date, the most severely affected communities and workers are those at or near chemical production plants, military sites, airports and other sites where PFAS-laced firefighting foam is used.
Since then, concern has broadened out to the much lower levels commonly found in drinking water, food, food packaging, cookware, carpets and air.
Control Efforts Have Been Slow
The 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants took aim at 12 industrial chemicals known to be toxic and persistent. In 2004, Australia ratified the convention and moved to control these chemicals.
No PFAS chemicals were in this first group. But over time, the convention was amended to phase out the forever chemicals PFHxS and PFOA and restrict PFAS.
Australia didn’t use the Stockholm Convention to ban these three chemicals. That’s because the government hasn’t completed work on a domestic treaty allowing it to ratify the amendments.