The Invisible Villain Harming You FOREVER
Why Forever Chemicals Are the New Asbestos
We’ve all heard whispers about “forever chemicals,” but what exactly are they? And why should we care?
I recently came across an article in Harvard Business Review titled Creating Workplaces Free of Forever Chemicals—and I’m so glad to see more and more research and awareness on forever chemicals finally coming to light!
Forever chemicals is a nickname for a group of over 10,000 synthetic compounds known as PFAS—short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They’re called “forever” because their carbon-fluorine bonds are among the strongest in chemistry, making them nearly impossible to break down.
These chemicals don’t degrade in the environment or in the human body.
Once they’re in, they stay.. forever!
👉 Did You Know?
PFAS have been used since the 1940s in all kinds of everyday products:
Non-stick cookware (hello, Teflon!)
Water-repellent clothing and outdoor gear
Stain-resistant sofas, carpets, and curtains
Paints, sealants, and construction materials
Food packaging, cosmetics, and even dental floss..
The list goes on and on…
If something resists dirt, grease, water, or fire—it probably contains PFAS.
These substances are turning up in the air and dust in our homes and workplaces. That means you are quietly being exposed to chemicals linked to:
Kidney and Testicular Cancer
Weight Gain
High LDL Cholesterol
Disrupted Menstrual Cycle
Lower Sperm Quality
Immune System Interference
And this isn’t fringe research. This is Harvard.
Despite the growing awareness, their use is still rising.
But here’s the scary part: it’s estimated that the drinking water of 200 million people in the USA contains PFAS above the safe limit. And 99% of Americans have these chemicals in their blood.
In the USA, EPA regulations currently cover only six out of more than 10,000 known PFAS chemicals—and only in drinking water. What?!
💡So what can we actually do?
The Harvard team lays it out clearly:
Demand transparency. Ask what’s actually in your building materials. Request Health Product Declarations when you buy.
Avoid the entire class of PFAS. Don’t just avoid the ones that show up on red lists. There are over 10,000. If you don’t ask for PFAS-free as a whole, you’re probably still getting them.
Why is this so important?
If we only regulate a few, we risk “regrettable substitutions,” where one harmful chemical is replaced by another cousin that hasn’t been banned yet.
Harvard proved this doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.
They swapped in PFAS-free alternatives across 14 major categories without delays or added costs. In fact, their cleaning staff found PFAS-free sofas easier to clean because the stains weren’t being trapped under the chemical coating.
I loved that detail. Less cleaning? Yes please!
I do wish they’d tracked other benefits too like increased productivity, fewer sick days, or improved sleep. I’d bet the data would be powerful.
But here’s what I want to ask…
If we’re doing this in offices, what about the places where you sleep? Where you eat? Where your kids learn and grow?
This can’t be a corporate wellness checkbox. It needs to be everywhere.
I can’t wait for the day they’re regulated as strictly as asbestos. But until then, we have to demand better and advocate for ourselves.